It appears the CNN Wednesday night town hall segment featuring former President Donald Trump served to benefit both sides. According to Blaze Media, Trump’s performance was lauded by many, and CNN was able to boast some of its highest primetime ratings in weeks, topping MSNBC and Fox News alike in total views and with the highly sought 25-54 age demographic.
One popular moment from the show came when Trump was chastised over the protests at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Upon being asked why he did not do more to stop any riots, the former president brought out the receipts, pointing out that he explicitly called for his supporters to stay peaceful as they protest and maintain respect for law enforcement, only for big tech to react by taking his posts down.
“Remember, we are the party of law and order … Respect the law and our great men and women in blue,” Trump read to viewers during CNN’s town hall.
When Trump went for the receipts 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻 pic.twitter.com/xA826tDGJf
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) May 11, 2023
Referencing data from Nielsen Fast National, Mediaite reported that CNN pulled in 3.12 million viewers during its primetime broadcast with Trump. Around 703,000 of the people who tuned in were 25 to 54 years of age, which is generally considered to be the most important television demographic.
This is quite a boost for CNN — Blaze Media noted that CNN only managed to pull in an average of about 500,000 views in the past few weeks, even after Fox News’ ousting of the very popular former network host Tucker Carlson, who appeared weekly on television at the same time Trump’s town hall was held. The outlet also said that more ratings may come soon, as CNN published a live stream of the town hall on its website and apps, with preliminary numbers not measuring people who may have watched on those mediums.
Another highlight from Trump’s CNN appearance was observed when Kaitlan Collins, who hosted the town hall, prompted an irritated reaction from Trump after she repeatedly interrupted him as he tried to answer her questions on a classified document probe.
He exclaimed, “You are a nasty person, I’ll tell ya…”
"Can I Talk?" – Crowd Goes Wild After Trump Calls CNN Host a 'Nasty Person'
Trump: "Are you ready? Can I talk?"
Kaitlan Collins: "Yeah, what's the answer?"
Trump: "Do you mind?"
Collins: "I would like you to answer the question."
Trump: "Okay, it's very simple to answer."… pic.twitter.com/oRlY2rvi6V
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) May 11, 2023
