CNN CEO Chris Licht defended the Wednesday night town hall with former President Donald Trump and praised former Daily Caller reporter Kaitlan Collins for hosting the program, but network staffers are reportedly angry at the move.
Licht said during CNN’s Thursday editorial meeting that he “couldn’t be more proud” of Collins before acknowledging the “backlash,” former CNN host Brian Stelter tweeted.
“You do not have to like the former president’s answers, but you can’t say that we didn’t get them,” Licht reportedly told staffers. “Kaitlan pressed him again and again and made news. Made a LOT of news [and] that is our job.”
“You do not have to like the former president’s answers, but you can’t say that we didn’t get them,” Licht tells staffers, many of whom are angry about the town hall. “Kaitlan pressed him again and again and made news. Made a LOT of news.” And “that is our job.”
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 11, 2023
“While we all may have been uncomfortable hearing people clapping, that was also an important part of the story,” Licht reportedly added, saying those voters represent a “large swath of America” that the media ignored in the 2016 election cycle, according to Stelter.
“America was served very well by what we did last night.” (RELATED: ‘But, You’re Right’: CNN Reporter Visibly Taken Aback After GOP Voter Slams Him On-Air For Trump Question)
But some CNN staffers are livid about the town hall, according to CNN’s Oliver Darcy and Stelter.
CNN and Licht have been receiving a “flurry of criticism” over the town hall, RadarOnline reported Thursday.
Others also expressed outrage at CNN, with CNBC media reporter Alex Sherman tweeting: “CNN CEO Chris Licht said he wouldn’t allow anyone on his network that said it’s raining when it’s not.”
“But he’s let someone on now who says it’s raining when it’s not, and he added hundreds of people to applaud when he does it,” Sherman added.
CNN CEO Chris Licht said he wouldn’t allow anyone on his network that said it’s raining when it’s not.
But he’s let someone on now who says it’s raining when it’s not, and he added hundreds of people to applaud when he does it.
— Alex Sherman (@sherman4949) May 11, 2023
“Chris Licht is rapidly becoming the Elon Musk of CNN…” MSNBC contributor Charlie Sykes alleged.
This was not Kaitlin Collins’ fault. The format was impossible and CNN’s bosses should have known that.
Chris Licht is rapidly becoming the Elon Musk of CNN…
— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) May 11, 2023
“This isn’t [Kaitlan Collins’] fault (she is doing the best one can), but this is a gushing geyser of disinformation that is cannot be fact-checked in real time,” former Obama senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer tweeted.
This isn’t @kaitlancollins fault (she is doing the best one can), but this is a gushing geyser of disinformation that is cannot be fact-checked in real time
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) May 11, 2023
The town hall took place at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. Trump spoke about the 2020 election, the current state of the economy, foreign affairs and his own personal legal happenings.