(New York Post) Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday admitted his upcoming town hall on CNN “could turn into a disaster for all, including me” but claimed the cable network “made me a deal I couldn’t refuse.”
The 2024 Republican presidential frontrunner touted his return to CNN with a post on his social media platform Truth Social — and couldn’t resist taking a shot at the news channel’s dismal ratings.
“I’ll be doing CNN tomorrow night, LIVE from the Great State of New Hampshire, because they are rightfully desperate to get those fantastic (TRUMP!) ratings once again,” he wrote.
The town hall, moderated by “CNN This Morning” co-host Kaitlan Collins, will be held Wednesday at 8 p.m. at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire.
In his Truth Social post, Trump questioned whether his appearance on the network “could be the beginning of a new and vibrant CNN, with no more fake news.”
“Or could it turn into a disaster for all, including me,” he added.
Trump then wrote: “They made me a deal I couldn’t refuse!!!’ — though he didn’t specify what that deal entailed.
A CNN spokesperson told The Post: “We offered him the opportunity to connect with New Hampshire voters via the live televised CNN Town Hall event.”
The town hall event will mark Trump’s first appearance on CNN since before he was elected president in 2016.Getty Images
Collins, a former White House reporter during the Trump administration, will take questions from an invited audience made up of New Hampshire Republicans and undecided voters.
Trump had been at war with the network during and after his presidency, invoking his “fake news” insult as well as filing a $475 million defamation suit against CNN last year.
The network has shifted away from the left-leaning commentary during the Trump years following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger. The CNN parent company’s CEO David Zaslav has pushed for more centrist coverage.
In his Truth Social post, Trump questioned whether his appearance on the network “could be the beginning of a new and vibrant CNN, with no more fake news.”
Since CNN announced the town hall, Republicans and Democrats have ripped the network for giving Trump a forum where he can spout the “Big Lie” invective that has been blamed for igniting the Jan. 6 riots.
