CNN Shut Down the Town Hall Early… Mercy Rule?

CNN likely had more viewers of their town hall event with President Donald Trump Wednesday night than most of their regular shows combined. It was the first time I’d watched more than a clip from the network in years.

Knowing the advertising boom this brought for them, it was odd that they cut off the interview over 20-minutes longer than they had allotted. Congressman Matt Gaetz has a theory:

Did CNN cut it short because Trump was doing SO WELL? I’ve never seen a Town Hall get called like a “Mercy Rule” before. Did that really happen?

Did CNN cut it short because Trump was doing SO WELL?

I’ve never seen a Town Hall get called like a “Mercy Rule” before.

Did that really happen? https://t.co/MOemyuO1Tu

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) May 11, 2023

Of course, CNN would never admit to it. They’d likely not think of that way themselves. They would justify it by saying they didn’t want to give Trump a platform to “continue lying” or something like that. But other than a couple of unflattering responses, he handled the event spectacularly and came out looking like the Trump of old — unapologetic and ready to sit in the Oval Office.

Even radical Democrat Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez agreed it was a debacle.

This falls squarely on CNN. Everyone here saw exactly what was going to happen. Instead they put a sexual abuse victim in harm’s way for views. This was a choice to platform lies about the election & Jan 6th w/ no plan but to have their moderator interrupted without consequence.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 11, 2023

This was supposed to be a trap and CNN executives were giddy over the prospects of Donald Trump walking willingly into it. The reality ended up reminding me of a line from Watchmen (graphic): “None of you seem to understand. I’m not locked in here with you. You’re locked in here with me.”