With his hiring as CEO, Chris Licht promised CNN would remake itself as a less opinion-driven channel, less focused on Donald Trump. What did CNN do instead? Gave Trump 75 minutes of unfettered airtime to spew lies, hatred, ignorance and misogyny.

Calling the program a “town hall” was absurd, with CNN handpicking only supportive attendees to cheer and laugh in the chaos created by Trump. “Fact checking in real time” – no one could keep up with all the lies. Trump encouraged Republicans to default on our debt, promised to pardon Jan. 6 rioters, refused to call Vladimir Putin a war criminal, took credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, and continued his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.

To top it off, CNN gave Trump another chance to defame E. Jean Carroll a day after a jury awarded her $5 million for defamation – and CNN was party to this new defamation by providing the forum where they should have known what he would say when asked about the trial by Kaitlin Collins (whom Trump gratuitously called “a nasty person” for trying to call out his lies).

What a terrible disservice CNN has done by giving Trump free airtime. His response to current events is bombastic and harmful – not “newsworthy.” Time Warner/Discovery is the new owner of CNN. Its billionaire investor/board member John Malone’s dream of turning CNN into another Fox is being realized following the hiring of Licht.

Carol Cure

Durango