CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Tuesday responded to “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin’s criticism of CNN for interviewing former President Donald Trump.
Hostin criticized CNN for holding a town hall with Trump in May. She said she was “disgusted” by the network’s decision to have former Daily Caller reporter Kaitlan Collins host the event with the former president.
Hostin further argued the town hall “seemed very polarizing,” and added she did not approve of the network’s lack of a chyron fact-checking Trump’s remarks.
“It was very polarizing,” Hostin told Tapper during his appearance on “The View.”
“What did you think of it?” she asked. “And did you agree with the decision to host the former twice-impeached — actually he’ll be thrice-indicted, if he’s indicted again — having him there that night?”
“First of all, I will say, I think Kaitlan Collins did fact-check him in real time,” Tapper responded. “So I do want to say that. I think the bigger question is, ‘You don’t even think that he should be hosted in a town hall?’ And I think that is one question, and the other question is, ‘If you do decide to do it, how do you do it?'”
“So, I disagree with you on the question of how he’s the leading Republican candidate, and I think it’s important for voters to get a chance to ask that person questions and to see who this candidate is,” Tapper continued.
“Do you think he’s just gonna lie?” Hostin asked.
“Well, now you’re getting into the second part of the question—” Tapper began before the panel cut to a break. (RELATED: ‘Lost So Many Viewers At This Point’: Sunny Hostin Rips CNN For Trump Town Hall)
The former president took the stage to answer questions from New Hampshire voters about his potential presidency if reelected in 2024. Collins repeatedly sparred with Trump after he called the 2020 presidential election “rigged” and claimed the Presidential Records Act authorized him to hold onto classified documents in his Mar-a-Lago residence.