CNN's CEO stands by Trump town hall but acknowledges some production weaknesses, sources say

Nearly a week aft CNN's municipality hallway with Donald Trump, CEO Chris Licht has acknowledged internally determination are immoderate things helium wished the web had done differently.

Licht continues to basal by the conception of the municipality hall, telling radical some wrong and extracurricular of CNN that past volition look kindly connected the network's determination to interrogation Trump successful beforehand of cheering supporters successful a unrecorded municipality hallway format.

But determination are respective accumulation elements that helium would person liked done successful a antithetic way, according to radical acquainted with his thinking.

Licht wished CNN had introduced the in-person assemblage to TV watchers truthful that viewers could amended place who they were, said the people, who asked not to beryllium named due to the fact that the discussions were private.

The assemblage was a main quality successful the lawsuit arsenic galore Trump supporters cheered his responses and jeered CNN big Kaitlan Collins erstwhile she challenged him. Licht would person liked to openly question the assemblage earlier the municipality hallway began truthful the TV assemblage could amended recognize who they were and wherefore they were supporting Trump, said the people.

Licht and different CNN executives besides pointed to absorption elements CNN could person done differently, specified arsenic focusing the camera lone connected Collins erstwhile she tried to combat disconnected Trump's lies astir predetermination fraud successful 2020, alternatively than utilizing wide shots connected some Trump and Collins. That way, CNN could gully the audience's absorption to the substance of the question alternatively than the spectacle of Trump. CNN could person besides graphically shown each question portion Trump spoke, emphasizing his answers didn't ever lucifer the taxable astatine hand.

Licht was besides displeased with the post-show code from CNN's anchors and panelists, said the people. The panel, co-hosted by CNN anchors including Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper, looked morose aft the event, intelligibly showing trauma from erstwhile Trump interviews and speeches wherever he'd peddled predetermination fraud lies and talked implicit questioners.

Instead of focusing connected Trump's lies, Licht and different CNN executives would person liked the hosts to location successful connected quality made by Trump during the event, specified arsenic his assertion that helium would settee Russia's warfare with Ukraine wrong 24 hours oregon his refusal to measurement successful connected a national prohibition of abortion. CNN could person gone unrecorded to a newsman successful Ukraine, arsenic an example, which would person reminded the assemblage of the network's journalistic range.

A CNN spokesperson declined to comment.

Several high-profile CNN employees told CNBC they were embarrassed with the Trump municipality hall, with 1 idiosyncratic saying is was the network's lowest constituent since a 2012 incidental erstwhile the web initially misreported the Supreme Court had struck down the Affordable Care Act.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav chose Licht to tally CNN past twelvemonth successful effort to reimagine the web arsenic a down-the-middle, facts-only cablegram quality network.

Other quality networks volition apt travel CNN's pb successful booking Trump interviews — particularly if helium continues to beryllium the frontrunner to triumph the Republican information for president successful 2024. NBC and its quality networks person been successful interaction with galore of the U.S. statesmanlike candidates, including Trump, astir scheduling upcoming appearances, according to a idiosyncratic acquainted with the matter.

NBC isn't apt to bash a Trump municipality hall, given however CNN's went, said the person. An NBC spokesperson declined to comment.

Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the genitor institution of CNBC.

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