You can call it a town hall, or you can call it a sparring match. Both former president Donald Trump and CNN’s Kaitlan Collins acquitted themselves quite well Wednesday night, throwing a few punches back and forth while offering little in terms of surprises.
Trump appeared pugnacious but calm and level-headed, Collins came off as prepared and determined to push the former president on the questions the left was burning to know the answers to. Both made their respective camps happy.
Trump, largely, did appear presidential and showed a personal touch. He looked every person in the eye who asked them a question, and showed some deference and respect, frequently complimenting the guests on their questions, while greeting them with a smile.
The audience gave him his greatest power. Snappy, memorable one liners. One asked him what the first thing Trump would do to bring down costs and make them more affordable.
“Drill, baby, drill.”
Biden is not going to have those punchy one liners that gets voters thinking politically. Trump went on to express his support for energy independence, discussed the 2020 election and much more.
Here are some of our highlights …
UKRAINE –
- Trump skillfully sidestepped giving a direct answer. “I want everyone to stop dying.”
- It was a punchy, emotional one liner that gets voters thinking.
- Trump should use emotional statements like this more often. They work.
JANUARY 6-
- Trump expressed support for most of the rioters facing prison time, but added that some deserve it.
- That little stipulation may put some voters fears to rest.
- Trump added some substance to his claims.
- Noted the Twitter files and the company’s investment towards the Democratic Party, he didn’t come off as psychotic defending his claims.
BATTLE OF PERSONALITIES
- The tit for tat on the topic continued for a solid minute as the two jousted for intellectual dominance.
- Collins got her soundbite. “It’s been two and a half year. Can you publicly acknowledge that you lost the 2020 election?”
- Trump didn’t respond with emotion or ire. He laid out his case in a coherent way.
RIGGED ELECTION
- Trump wouldn’t back off and just call it a day, but he quickly pivoted away from the topic when pressed. First, though, he issued his defense of his viewpoint. It did sound somewhat reasonable
- “They found millions of votes on government cameras where they’re stuffing ballot boxes. I think it’s a shame what happened, what I think is, it’s a very sad thing what happened to our country, I think it’s a sad thing for the world, our country has gone to hell. Our borders have been bad, military has been bad. If you look at taxes, inflation, what’s happened to inflation, it’s destroying our country.”
- Trump played it smart. Don’t dwell on the bad, talk about how bad things are right now. What’s in the past is in the past. He addressed the question, but made the topic largely irrelevant going forward.
Ultimately, Trump comes off relatively unscathed from this affair, and Collins can only add a feather in her cap for her career in liberal mainstream journalism. Infact, CNN is looking to make her their primetime anchor, replacing the genial and humble Don Lemmon. Both were civil enough to each other where no one could say the conversation lacked substance.
If Trump keeps this defiant but even keeled attitude, and does more town halls like this, he should be on his way to a second term.
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