Donald Trump Brags About 'Traumatizing' CNN Staffers with Divisive Town Hall As Newsroom's Morale Hits Rock Bottom Over Coverage
May 15 2023, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
Donald Trump gleefully boasted about traumatizing CNN staffers after his divisive town hall event, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Mere days after he appeared in front of the crowd, composed of Republican and undecided voters, at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, Trump blasted the network that hosted him.
While the GOP frontrunner claimed he was shocked by the "level of hostility" spurred by the event, RadarOnline.com exclusively reported that morale at CNN is at an "all-time low" for staff who felt the ordeal was a "gross" grab at ratings.
During an interview with The Messenger, the infamous Mar-a-Lago resident recalled being "surprised by the level of hostility" over last Wednesday's primetime event.
As he reflected on his time on the stage with CNN host Kaitlan Collins, Trump proudly boasted that the network "had one of the best [viewership] days in years."
Trump noted that he was "amazed" how the network acted "traumatized" by his behavior during the event.
"I thought they would be neutral and even better than that so they could get the viewers back," Trump continued on CNN's town hall reaction. "You would think they would claim success. I was amazed to see that they were traumatized by what took place. They were actually traumatized."
"I think that instead of acting the way they did, they should have said, ‘We had a tremendous ratings night, one of the best in years, many years,’ and spiked the football, right?" Trump added.
Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free.
While Trump relished in the network being "traumatized" by the event, CNN staff expected the outcome, which made the network's decision to move forward with the primetime event all the more disappointing.
"No one wanted Trump on the air at CNN in a town hall format where he was just allowed to basically run his mouth unchecked," an insider told RadarOnline.com. "Staffers did everything possible NOT to get stuck working on the special."
Trump's ego on the stage matched what staffers were forced to endure backstage, too.
"Trump came onto set like the bully and just owned the night spewing whatever lies he wanted. It was just gross," another source shared. "The facts didn't matter. It's just Trump's truth."
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
To no surprise, Trump declared himself the victor of the town hall event, where he was the only candidate present, he credited his so-called success to his own media strategy.
"I’ve never been so credited with the successes the way I have with this. Everybody — the radical left, fascists, Marxists, communists, and normal people — have said that it was a total complete victory for Trump…But CNN has taken tremendous hits," Trump said.
"And I’m surprised they don’t really say that they had a very big ratings night. Truly surprising to me."
