CNN came under fire on Wednesday from those who disagree with former President Donald Trump for hosting him in a town hall event on the network. These people said that CNN was giving Trump a platform.

The internet was abuzz with talk of how the former president performed during the Townhall earlier in this week, a topic that Breitbart News reported on, sharing details of the response from across the internet, particularly those on the left.

Response From Disturbed Political Insiders

“CNN should be ashamed of themselves,” said self-professed socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). “They have lost total control of this ‘town hall’ to again be manipulated into platforming election disinformation, defenses of Jan 6th, and a public attack on a sexual abuse victim. The audience is cheering him on and laughing at the host.”

“This is a Trump infomercial,” lamented Meghan McCain.

This is a Trump infomercial. #CNNTownhall

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) May 11, 2023

“This is an irresponsible disaster of journalism. We have absolutely learned nothing,” said Matt Fuller of the Daily Beast.

This is an irresponsible disaster of journalism.

We have absolutely learned nothing.

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) May 11, 2023

“This is really not going how CNN must have thought or hoped it would go,” said Yahoo News senior correspondent Michael Weiss. “He is steamrolling, getting laughs for his crassest comments, and seems far more self-assured and confident than someone this deep in the soup should be.”

This is really not going how CNN must have thought or hoped it would go… He is steamrolling, getting laughs for his crassest comments, and seems far more self-assured and confident than someone this deep in the soup should be.

— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) May 11, 2023

"He’s got total control of this interview and Kaitlin Collins is getting utterly incinerated," said Lincoln Project Founder Rick Wilson.

He’s got total control of this interview and Kaitlin Collins is getting utterly incinerated.

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) May 11, 2023

Response to Collins' Hosting Ability

There were a number of responses to the ability of CNN's Kaitlan Collins who hosted the Townhall event. Included in the criticism was the assertion that Collins was essentially "thrown to the wolves" going up against the former president.

The New York Post's Alexandra Steigrad reported, that "CNN failed to arm Kaitlan Collins with the necessary tools to refute former President Donald Trump’s lie-filled rants during the contentious town hall," citing what a media veteran told The Post.

Collins was left to verbally spar with Trump as he talked over her and at one point called her “nasty.”

“When someone is going to lie and you know he’s going to lie … you arm yourself with more than, ‘You said this.’ You have proof,” the source said. “This tactic could have disrupted Trump from steamrolling her.”