Former President Donald J. Trump’s cryptic message about his upcoming CNN town hall could be an indication that he may now view Fox News as the “enemy” in a rapidly changing cable television news environment in the run-up to the 2024 election.
The stunning news that the former president would venture into the belly of the beast for a high-stakes, nationally televised appearance on a network that has spent years attacking him came last week like a bolt out of the blue, infuriating leftists who raged about CNN giving him a forum while some supporters suggested that Trump is crazy like a fox.
On Thursday, Trump further added to the intrigue when he reacted to a tweet by CNN senior media reporter Oliver Darcy that it will be “his first appearance on the news network in years,” by posting a short reply suggesting that the tides may have shifted.
“Going into the heart of Enemy territory, but maybe the Enemy is changing?” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
(Image: Screengrab/Truth Social)
Trump did not elaborate on the mysterious post but it could be attributed as a shot at Fox News, a frequent source of irritation for the former president who has repeatedly jabbed the conservative network for what he feels is biased coverage, despite his appearance in several recent interviews.
The CNN town hall, which will take place on Wednesday, May 10 at 9 p.m. ET at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, will be his first appearance on the self-proclaimed “most trusted name in news” since the 2016 presidential campaign that would end with him shocking the world by springing the upset on the heavily favored Hillary Clinton, a result that sent left-wingers careening into madness.
The event, which will be moderated by “CNN This Morning” anchor Kaitlan Collins, will feature the nation’s 45th president taking questions from Granite State Republicans and undeclared voters who plan to cast their votes in next year’s New Hampshire primary.
Trump’s relationship with Fox News has soured in recent years, particularly over the coverage of the 2020 election which the ex-POTUS continues to contend was rigged against him, and a report that the network has imposed a “soft ban” on him with the Murdochs reportedly wanting to “move on” from him as it shifts its focus to other Republican alternatives.
Despite the growing friction, Trump has recently been featured in interviews on Fox News with Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, and now-ousted Tucker Carlson.
Whether Fox News’ decision to give its most popular host the boot in a move that practically no one saw coming also factors into Trump’s remarks about a change in enemies is unknown, but his team has reportedly been in contact with Carlson about the possibility of appearing in an alternative GOP candidate debate that the ex-host is said to be mulling.
According to The Washington Post which first reported on the idea of a Carlson-hosted debate outside the control of the RNC, Trump “has told Carlson he’s interested, according to a person familiar with the exchange.”
With the CNN town hall, Trump runs the risk of walking directly into a trap where he will be deluged with ambush questions in front of what will likely be a massive television audience, a risk that he clearly feels is worth taking.
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