As networks continue to grapple with how to cover the candidacy of former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican primary, NBC News has reportedly gotten gunshy about hosting an event after CNN received significant backlash for hosting Trump in a New Hampshire town hall.
According to a report from CNBC’s Alex Sherman, NBC News had begun the process of reaching out to prominent presidential candidates to discuss their availability for upcoming appearances. However, NBC now is not likely host a town hall event with Trump after the reaction to his performance in CNN’s event last week. That is not to say that NBC News won’t cover Trump or look to feature him in its coverage of the run-up to the Republican primary, only that a town hall-style event is unlikely to happen.
Reaction was mixed to the New Hampshire event, mostly along party lines. Prominent Democrats and liberal news media figures were critical of CNN for giving the former President a platform, while Republicans and conservative news media personnel applauded Trump for going into what was referred to as “enemy territory” for the combative interview with moderator Kaitlan Collins.
Sherman’s report goes on to detail that after defending CNN last week for its decision to host the event, CEO Chris Licht is now of the belief that the network could have handled the on-air product differently in the face of much criticism. Licht reportedly zeroed in on things as detailed as camera selections and placements in the re-examination of the event.
