A former police officer who was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021-turned CNN contributor is slamming the network for its choice to host a town hall featuring Donald Trump.
“CNN is a major American cable news outlet whose viewers trust that they are being given accurate reporting of events to the best of the network’s ability. With this trust comes an obligation and commitment to their viewers,” Michael Fanone wrote in an op-ed for Rolling Stone, titled, CNN Is Hosting a Town Hall for a Guy Who Tried to Get Me Killed.
“In the past, CNN has recognized the dangers of allowing election deniers a public platform and would not allow them on-air. Under new ‘leadership,’ that policy has been discarded as evidenced by CNN’s decision to allow the chief election denier, former President Donald J. Trump, a prominent time slot in its evening lineup.”
the CNN town hall audience laughs as Trump smears E Jean Carroll pic.twitter.com/HIokiAqIom
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2023
As Fanone points out in his op-ed, he is now employed by CNN as a contributor. He’s known for the emotional testimony he gave before the Jan. 6 committee and his regular appearances on the network and criticism of Trump and Republicans.
“In the nearly two years that I have worked for this network, I have had countless conversations with its employees, producers, hosts, journalists, cameramen, etc. They all have stories about the ‘Trump’ years. When the former president attacked them (many by name), he inspired countless acts of violence, both threatened and overt, from his supporters. Many employees told me they were afraid to wear anything that identified them as CNN employees when out in public,” Fanone wrote. “So why lend your network’s platform to someone like that?”
CNN has come under a wave of criticism over their choice to have the town hall, especially in the wake of the verdict in the civil case against Donald Trump brought by E. Jean Carroll, where a Manhattan federal jury found that he sexually abused Carroll in a luxury department store dressing room in 1996 and awarded her $5 million for battery and defamation.
