CNN has announced plans to host a series of town halls, with hosts Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper, and Kaitlan Collins anchoring the coverage.
On Wednesday, April 9th, the network will host Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) for a town hall with Anderson Cooper. The event will be staged in Washington D.C., with a live studio audience asking the sitting senator questions on a variety of topics. CNN maintains that the audience will be made up of a diverse array of political backgrounds.
On the following night, the network will broadcast a town hall featuring four current members of the House of Representatives. Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), and Derek Tran (D-CA) will also be in Washington D.C. to answer questions from the public. That town hall event will be anchored by Kaitlan Collins and Jake Tapper.
Like the first town hall, the network says the live, in-studio audience will be compromised of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.
It is not the first time any of the network’s talents have hosted a town hall event. Collins famously hosted the 2023 town hall with Donald Trump which eventually led to her elevation to the network’s primetime lineup. Meanwhile, both Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper also hosted town hall events with presidential candidates during the 2024 election cycle.
Additionally, Tapper moderated a presidential debate between Trump and then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in 2024, which ultimately led to his departure from the race for the White House.
Both town hall events will air at 9 PM ET. The broadcasts will be available for CNN subscribers the following day.
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