St. Anselm College defends and criticizes controversial CNN town hall with Donald Trump

After facing criticism from the community for hosting a CNN town hall with former president and current GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, St. Anselm College defended its decision to host the May 10 event while stating it was “deeply troubled” by one portion.

Former President Trump took questions from New Hampshire Republican and undeclared voters at the Benedictine college during the televised town hall moderated by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in which he repeated unfounded claims about the 2020 election and took credit for bringing about the end of Roe v. Wade.

The town hall event took place in New Hampshire, home to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, a key contest for any candidate on the road to the White House. The live audience consisted of Republican primary voters and Republican-leaning undeclared voters. The event was chaotic at times, with Collins and Trump speaking over one another and some of Trump’s Republican supporters in the audience cheering his comments.

CNN faced criticism for hosting the former president, who has made claims, without providing evidence, that the 2020 election was “rigged” against him. But the network defended its decision, as well as Collins’ moderation of the event, arguing in a statement that Collins “asked tough, fair and revealing questions.”

The event took place the day after a federal jury in New York found him liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll. Trump denied involvement and also claimed that verdict was “rigged.”

During the town hall, Trump made comments mocking his accuser as “a whack job” as members of the audience laughed.

In a May 12 statement, St. Anslem College said it “was deeply troubled by the former president’s remarks regarding the civil trial with a finding that he was liable for sexual assault.”

“Equally disturbing was the audience’s reaction, nearly all of whom were not members of the Saint Anselm community, with laughter,” the statement said. “The college does not tolerate sexual misconduct of any kind, including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual harassment.”

Elsewhere during the event, Trump repeated claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, and claimed that then-Vice President Mike Pence was not in “any danger” during the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. At the time protesters were chanting, “Hang Mike Pence,” and documentation showed rioters got within 40 feet of Pence during the attack. Pence was ultimately taken to a secure location in the Capitol complex.

President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign responded to the event on Twitter, writing, “It’s simple, folks. Do you want four more years of that?”

Robert Schmuhl, professor emeritus of American studies at the University of Notre Dame, who critically observes the modern American presidency, told OSV News that the town hall’s “major lesson is that mainstream media outlets need to be careful in giving Donald Trump a platform.”

“Despite being challenged on point-after-point, he delivered so many falsehoods that a network trying to be unbiased came off as being a conduit of over an hour of misinformation, amplifying the former president’s conspiracies and lies,” Schmuhl said.

Schmuhl said Collins “valiantly tried to correct the falsehoods about the 2020 election and Jan. 6, but the former president persisted in reiterating his unfounded beliefs, ones that seriously damage American democracy.”

“His views haven’t changed from Election Day in 2020, and I doubt they ever will,” he said.

Elsewhere during the event, Trump called the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in June that overturned prior rulings by the high court making abortion access a constitutional right, including Roe, “a great victory.”

“But for 50 years, this has been going on,” Trump said of abortion under Roe v. Wade, a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in all 50 states. “I was able to do it, and I was very honored to do it. But by doing it, things are happening that are very, very positive.”

Trump noted he believes “in the exceptions, the life of the mother, rape, incest, like Ronald Reagan believed in the exceptions.”

Asked several times by Collins if he would sign a federal abortion ban into law in a second term, Trump avoided specifics, arguing he would “negotiate so that people are happy.”

Trump said that others have offered “ideas” about gestational limits, at one point saying, “Lindsey Graham’s a good man,” in an apparent reference to a 15-week limit the South Carolina Republican introduced in the Senate last year. He mentioned “some people are at six weeks; some people are at three weeks, two weeks,” without elaborating on which, if any, he would support.

Asked whether they were satisfied by Trump’s comments on abortion at the town hall event, pro-life activists were similarly vague on whether they would support Trump, but offered specifics on the types of policies they are looking for a Republican nominee to embrace.

In comments to OSV News, E.V. Osment, vice president of communications at SBA Pro-Life America, cited a meeting the group’s president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, recently had with Trump, and said the group looks forward to “continued conversations” with him.

“We’re looking for a leader on life,” Osment said. “Someone who will commit to being a national defender of life, and as part of that commitment they need to support (at least) a 15-week national standard (at the time when science proves a baby in the womb can feel pain). A standard 72% of Americans support.”

Trump met with Dannenfelser after the prominent anti-abortion group criticized him for a campaign statement arguing abortion restrictions are a matter for states to decide. The Trump campaign said in a statement that Trump was “honored to have the support of leading pro-life groups like Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America in 2016 and 2020.”

Other groups have called for earlier gestational limits. Kristi Hamrick, vice president of media and policy for Students for Life Action, said the group was “pleased” to see Trump “talked about heartbeat legislation, in noting that some are looking at limits around six weeks after a heartbeat is detected.”

“We will be asking all presidential candidates to support heartbeat (legislation) or better, as in every other medical setting we rush to help people with a heartbeat, rather than ending their lives,” Hamrick said, noting the group intends to send out a candidate survey later in the race. “We want to see a bold defense of mothers and their children, born and preborn.”

St. Anselm College is a private Benedictine liberal arts college and the third oldest Catholic college in New England, according to its website. It also is home to the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, which has provided a nonpartisan forum for presidential candidates visiting the state since 2001.

In its statement issued after the event, the college noted it has hosted every major candidate for president since 1960.

“For more than a generation, Saint Anselm has participated in the democratic process, underscoring our mission to provide a transformative education that fosters critical thinking skills for our students,” Joseph Favazza, the college’s president, said in a statement. “We look forward to hosting many more town halls, debates and other political events, as we once again play this important role for our community and our country.”

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