Dear MoveOn member,
A day after a jury convicted Donald Trump of sexually abusing and defaming
E. Jean Carroll, CNN gave him a platform to mock and smear her, drawing
laughter and applause from some in the audience of Trump supporters.^1
Despicable, CNN.
CNN's event, an exclusive, prime-time town hall with Trump, marked Trump's
return to mainstream cable TV and a repeat of the run-up to the 2016
election, when CNN and other media outlets gave Trump $2 billion in free
airtime and helped propel him to the White House.^2
At the town hall last night, Trump said the 2020 election was "rigged,"
promised he'd pardon January 6 insurrectionists, and embraced defaulting
on the national debt.^3
Speaking about the violent white supremacist insurrection and attempted
overthrow of the U.S. government, he said, "They were there with love in
their heart — that was unbelievable and it was a beautiful day."^4
This week, MoveOn launched an emergency campaign to pressure CNN to stop
kowtowing to Donald Trump. We cannot allow a repeat of 2016. We need to
ramp up the pressure right now.
Which is why we're asking you to please rush a $3 gift to
our emergency campaign. If we raise enough resources, we'll organize
in-person rallies outside CNN headquarters, produce and place hard-hitting
TV ads on CNN itself, and mobilize people across the country to express
their outrage to the network via phone calls, social media, and more.
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll make a gift now.
How could CNN give Trump a platform to skewer, mock, and belittle E. Jean
Carroll—and just a day after the jury convicted him?
It's a slap in the face not only to E. Jean Carroll—who after 30 years
finally had an opportunity for justice—but to all of us who have been
victims of sexual abuse, assault, and rape.
Shame on CNN.
And it's part of a recent pattern with CNN and comes after the network
helped fuel Trump's rise in 2015 and 2016.
The night Trump returned to Mar-a-Lago after turning himself in on
criminal charges, CNN ran almost every minute of his speech live and
uninterrupted.^5 The speech, which was billed as a response to his
arraignment, was actually a campaign rally, full of his usual bigoted
attacks, lies, and conspiracy theories.^6 MSNBC, NPR, and other mainstream
media networks rightfully refused to air it.^7
But CNN's ratings are lagging. CNN viewership plummeted 61% in March, and
the network is desperate to bring in viewers to boost its bottom line.^8
We cannot let CNN repeat 2016 and help put Trump in the White House again.
[ [link removed] ]That's why MoveOn has launched an emergency campaign to hold CNN's feet
to the fire once and for all and make the network answer for its decision
to uplift Trump time and time again, from the run-up to the 2016 election
to the January 6 insurrection to this week's town hall. Can you make a
gift of $3—or whatever you can afford—to support the
campaign now?
Thanks for all you do.
–Emily, David, Kelly, Allison, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Trump’s CNN town hall: Defending rioters, mocking sexual assault,
threatening default," The Washington Post, May 10, 2023
[link removed]
2. "$2 Billion Worth of Free Media for Donald Trump," The New York Times,
March 15, 2016
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3. "Trump’s CNN town hall: Defending rioters, mocking sexual assault,
threatening default," The Washington Post, May 10, 2023
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4. Ibid.
5. "CNN And Fox News Carry Donald Trump’s Post-Arraignment Speech, MSNBC
Skips It; Former President Attacks D.A. And Judge In Case — Update,"
Deadline, April 4, 2023
[link removed]
6. "Donald Trump lashes out, resorting to old tactics after arraignment
hearing," NPR, April 5, 2023
[link removed]
7. "CNN And Fox News Carry Donald Trump’s Post-Arraignment Speech, MSNBC
Skips It; Former President Attacks D.A. And Judge In Case — Update,"
Deadline, April 4, 2023
[link removed]
8. "CNN’s prime time ratings tank 61% as network boss plows ahead with new
vision," Fortune, March 30, 2023
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Want to support MoveOn's work? Voters just defied history and stopped a
MAGA wave of extremism at the polls. But there is more work to do to end
the filibuster, codify abortion rights into law, and defend our freedoms,
our families, and our futures. We can accomplish all this and more, but
only if we work together.
Will you chip in right now to power our critical work?
[ [link removed] ]Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.
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