Donald Trump teams up with CNN to host subscribers-only town hall event

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Former president Donald Trump appears to be softening on the establishment media, courting the likes of CNN to host a public town hall event where he intends to take questions from CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.

CNN announced Monday that it will host a town hall with Trump next week in New Hampshire, where Trump will field questions from Republicans and undeclared voters planning to participate in the 2024 GOP presidential primary.

Trump, who was previously at odds with the corporate press over their “constant negative covfefe” of his leadership while at the White House, has softened his demeanor towards the press following their attacks on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who’s being championed as a likely successor to the former president in what is set to become a heated primary for Republicans in the run up to 2024.

Despite being the current front-runner in the Republican race, Trump faces legal challenges, including an indictment in Manhattan related to hush money payments made during his 2016 campaign to women alleging extramarital affairs with him, which he denies.

Additionally, former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll is suing Trump, claiming he sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s and defamed her after she went public with her allegations. Trump has also denied these claims.

CNN says that its paying subscribers will be able to access the stream through its website and mobile apps, and through its on demand service. It will not be broadcast for free, prompting critics to suggest that the event is unlikely to garner significant viewership.