Fox’s Sean Hannity could hardly speak Thursday night. That’s how excited he was about Donald Trump’s Wednesday night CNN town hall, an event he described as “a nightmare come to life for the producers and contributors at fake news CNN.”
Hannity praised Trump as “great,” “likable” and “extremely funny” with all the enthusiasm of someone desperately trying to make a new friend. “The crowd loved him, not the anchor,” Hannity said, referring to “CNN This Morning” host and moderator of the event Kaitlan Collins.
During the live event, Collins asked Trump about E. Jean Carroll, the journalist who claimed that the former president sexually assaulted her in the ’90s. On Tuesday, Trump was found liable for defamation and sexual abuse, and Carroll was awarded $5 million. When Collins pressed Trump on this lawsuit, Trump mocked Carroll and called her a “wack job.” His mockery drew applause and laughter from the audience.
But Hannity’s joy mostly came from what he perceived as CNN’s “total complete, utter freakout.” The Fox News host claimed that the town hall “did not go well” for what he repeatedly called “fake news CNN.”
“They weren’t ready for Donald Trump!” Hannity exclaimed.
Meanwhile, the live event brought in 3.3 million viewers for CNN, making it the second most-watched town hall since 2016. On a call to staff Thursday morning, network CEO Chris Licht also praised the event in no uncertain terms, saying that he “absolutely unequivocally” believes that America was served well by the event. He also called out Collins for her “masterful performance” and said that he “couldn’t be more proud of her.”
Several CNN staffers have since spoken out against the town hall. Reading select reactions, Hannity dubbed their responses as an “apparent revolt among fake news CNN’s emotionally fragile employees, especially their left-wing woke anchors.” He also said that an “all out temper tantrum” is underway inside the company.
Donald Trump’s town hall marked the first CNN town hall for the upcoming 2024 presidential election cycle. The network typically gives each major candidate a platform to debate and present their position to the American people.