CNN Uses Staffer to Impersonate Donald Trump in Mock Debates With Anchor Kaitlin Collins Ahead of Town Hall

Donald Trump's town hall forum on CNN is just hours away and the network is going above and beyond to prepare for the event, RadarOnline.com has learned, having a senior staffer portray the former president in prep sessions to gear up for the verbal sparring that undoubtedly lies ahead.

The event kicking off at 8 PM is expected to be "ratings gold," with anchor Kaitlan Collins serving as moderator, having been known to publicly clash with the Republican frontrunner. It will mark Trump's first appearance on the network since his 2016 presidential campaign.

Viewers expect Trump to address a number of topics while in New Hampshire just one day after a jury found him civilly liable for sexual abuse and battery following E. Jean Caroll's claim that he forced himself on her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room back in the 1990s.

The jury, however, did not unanimously agree on Carroll's allegation that the former president raped her.

Collins has made the town hall a top priority in her work schedule, stepping away from her morning-show duties and spending countless hours meeting with CEO Chris Licht as well as other top execs at a New Hampshire hotel.

An insider said she is not sweating the town hall despite knowing she will have to navigate audience questions with her own. "She's f---ing fearless," one tipster told POLITICO Playbook in their report.

"I'm nervous for her, but it's almost like I'm annoying her by asking [how she's doing] … She's like, 'I know the pressure. I'm fine,'" the insider added of Collins.

On Tuesday night, Collins and team hit the stage at Saint Anselm to check out the staging and lighting, making sure all the details are set to go before cameras start rolling.

Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free.

Sources said that Licht is just as invested in the event, with big hopes for the network after layoffs and the firing of former primetime star Don Lemon. "It's like a really big moment for the two of them together," the insider said. "It's a reset for Chris."

Meanwhile, critics have spoken out about the divisive town hall. MSNBC anchor Joy Reid blasted the event as "a pretty open attempt by CNN to push itself to the right and make itself attractive and show its belly to MAGA."