CNN’s Lemon of a Town Hall Meeting
23rd July 2021
CNN became apoplectic whenever Donald Trump called them “fake news,” but on July 21, they offered President Biden a nationally televised boost that can accurately be described as a “fake town hall.”
A real town hall would sell tickets in a city like Cincinnati and let the locals mix it up with the president, ask them whatever was on their mind. That’s not what CNN does. It’s an “invitation only” audience, which means nobody boos or laughs at inappropriate times. CNN was talking over the video, but when Biden waved goodbye at the limited crowd, they gave him a standing ovation.
The questioners were typically tilted: eight Democrats and three Republicans, plus a mother who lost a son to opioids. Questions are clearly pre-scripted. The network knows exactly what’s going to be asked on what topic. CNN.com had a preview article telling viewers the night’s topics in advance. Airing it live doesn’t mean it’s lively.