Trump to sit for CNN town hall

Former President Trump will participate in a CNN town hall event in New Hampshire next week, the network announced on Monday.

Trump, who last fall became the first Republican to officially seek the party’s nomination for president, has not participated in a town hall-style interview in more than two years, last sitting with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie late in 2020.

The event, which will take place at Saint Anselm College, will be moderated by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins and air at 8 p.m. Eastern.

The network said it will fill the venue with a live audience of New Hampshire Republican and undeclared voters who say they intend to vote in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary. 

Trump’s decision to sit with CNN for a town hall-style event is a significant departure from his usual appearances on Fox News and smaller conservative channels, such as Newsmax and OAN.

The former president, who regularly derided CNN as “fake news” under its previous leadership, recently sued the network for defamation over its coverage of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and false claims of voter fraud.

Updated: 2:38 p.m.