CNN head defends Trump’s lie-strewn town hall: ‘America was served very well’

Chris Licht boasts that network ‘made a lot of news’ in call to angry staff but CNN reporter laments Trump’s ‘firehose of disinformation’

CNN bosses have defended their decision to host a prime-time town hall with Donald Trump, after triggering widespread outrage by allowing the former president to spout lies and disinformation on subjects from sexual assault to attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Addressing staff anger over the decision to host the New Hampshire event, the CNN chief executive, Chris Licht, saluted what he called a “masterful performance” by Kaitlan Collins, the anchor who attempted to cope with Trump’s lies and abusive comments in front of a raucous Republican audience.