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.

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.

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.

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
https://act.moveon.org/go/172270?t=4&akid=351877%2E40999114%2E_zImOU

2. "$2 Billion Worth of Free Media for Donald Trump," The New York Times, March 15, 2016
https://act.moveon.org/go/169648?t=6&akid=351877%2E40999114%2E_zImOU

3. "Trump’s CNN town hall: Defending rioters, mocking sexual assault, threatening default," The Washington Post, May 10, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/172270?t=8&akid=351877%2E40999114%2E_zImOU

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
https://act.moveon.org/go/172240?t=10&akid=351877%2E40999114%2E_zImOU

6. "Donald Trump lashes out, resorting to old tactics after arraignment hearing," NPR, April 5, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/172241?t=12&akid=351877%2E40999114%2E_zImOU

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
https://act.moveon.org/go/172240?t=14&akid=351877%2E40999114%2E_zImOU

8. "CNN’s prime time ratings tank 61% as network boss plows ahead with new vision," Fortune, March 30, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/172238?t=16&akid=351877%2E40999114%2E_zImOU

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