Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is backing calls to cancel a CNN town hall with former President Donald Trump on Wednesday, given a civil verdict that found him liable of sexual abuse and defamation against former magazine writer E. Jean Carroll.
Mr. Trump is scheduled to appear at a town hall in New Hampshire moderated by journalist Kaitlan Collins.
His political opponents were upset about the network giving Mr. Trump such a prominent platform on the cusp of the 2024 campaign. Now, the Carroll verdict is amplifying the criticism.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat and vocal progressive, retweeted a post from The Nation writer Elie Mystal that said, “CNN is going to cancel the town hall instead of platforming a sexual predator, right? RIGHT? [/sweet summer child sarcasm off].”
She also liked a post from MSNBC host Chris Hayes that said, “Very cool to give Trump a chance to defame this woman again on live national TV.”
Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a former government official who played a key role in Mr. Trump’s first impeachment proceedings, also questioned the decision to proceed.
SEE ALSO: Trump storms into ‘enemy territory’ on CNN to court skeptical voters
“Is @CNN still going to do a town hall with the sexual predator twice impeached insurrectionist former president @realDonaldTrump?” Mr. Vindman wrote. “I’m not watching it. I think it’s absurd for a major news network to normalize Trump.”
CNN and its chairman and CEO, Chris Licht, are pushing to be seen as less ideological and relentless in criticizing Mr. Trump after the nonstop controversy on its airwaves during his time in the White House.
Mr. Trump is visiting a network whose reporters he dubbed “the enemy of the people” as he campaigns for the White House and contends with an array of legal issues.
The New York jury on Tuesday cleared Mr. Trump of raping Ms. Carroll in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s.
However, the jury’s other findings were the latest legal blow for Mr. Trump, who is also facing criminal charges in New York and remains under federal investigation for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and retain classified documents.
Mr. Trump was ordered to pay roughly $5 million in the civil suit — about $2 million for the assault and about $3 million for defamation.
“I’m overwhelmed, overwhelmed with joy and happiness and delight for the women in this country,” Ms. Carroll told NBC’s “Today.” “I didn’t even hear the money. This is not about the money. This is about getting my name back, and that’s what we accomplished.”
The Trump campaign said the trial was a political hit job.
“The Democratic Party’s never-ending witch-hunt of President Trump hit a new low today,” the campaign said. “In jurisdictions wholly controlled by the Democratic Party our nation’s justice system is now compromised by extremist left-wing politics. We have allowed false and totally made-up claims from troubled individuals to interfere with our elections, doing great damage.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.