2023-05-11 07:40:00
On May 1, 2023, in Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom, former US President Trump (Trump) raised his fist to greet reporters following arriving at Aberdeen Airport by private plane. (Andy Buchanan/AFP)
[The Epoch Times, May 11, 2023](Reported by Epoch Times reporter Lin Yan) Former U.S. President Trump (Trump) attended CNN’s event in New Hampshire on Wednesday (May 10) Town Hall, kicking off his first media campaign for the 2024 election.
CNN said Trump will take questions from Republicans and voters in the middle. Wednesday’s town hall meeting was hosted by “CNN This Morning” anchor Kaitlan Collins and lasted 1 hour and 10 minutes.
It was Trump’s first appearance on CNN since the 2016 election.
New Hampshire, home to the nation’s first Republican primary, is home to many swing voters. Trump easily won the state’s primaries in 2016 and 2020, but lost the state in both general elections.
According to the latest polls, Trump is currently the main front-runner among Republican candidates in the 2024 presidential election.
The CNN anchor asked the former president a series of controversial questions, including his thoughts on the 2020 election results, comments regarding women and the legal issues he faces. Trump’s answer caused roars of laughter and applause from the audience from time to time.
Asked regarding the theft of the 2020 presidential election, Trump said the U.S. needs to have “honest elections.”
“Our country must have honest elections,” he said. He cited the example of voters needing to carry their identity card (ID) to vote. Then the audience applauded.
Regarding the attack on Congress on January 6, the host asked Trump why he called on the protesters to retreat only hours following his supporters stormed the Capitol. Trump took out a few pieces of paper from his pocket, which read There was his tweet on January 6, and then he read part of the tweet on the spot, saying that he had been asking the participants to be peaceful.
Responding to a question from viewers regarding whether he would pardon protesters charged with crimes over the Jan. 6 riots, Trump replied: “I’m inclined to pardon a lot of them … most of them are good people.”
Debt Ceiling Standoff
Asked by the audience regarding the U.S. debt-ceiling impasse and where it’s headed, Trump said his advice to Republicans was, “If they (Democrats) don’t give you big cuts (spending), you’re going to have to default.”
He said that he believes that the US debt will not default in the end, because the Democratic Party will definitely give in, and no one wants to let the debt default happen. The current government, he said, “spends money like a drunk sailor”.
The U.S. federal debt is hitting the current statutory debt limit of $31.4 trillion. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in early May that the U.S. government may not be able to pay all its bills on time as soon as June 1 if Congress does not first raise the debt ceiling.
The last time the debt ceiling was raised was in 2021, when the Democrats controlled both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but this time the Democrats only controlled the Senate, which undoubtedly made it more difficult to solve the problem.
Would protect the Second Amendment if re-elected
Trump has said that if he is re-elected in 2024, he will protect the Second Amendment and address mental health issues.
“It’s not the gun that pulls the trigger, it’s the person,” he said Wednesday in response to a question regarding mass shootings.
If elected, he said he would “do a lot” to address mass shootings, including hiring more security guards for schools and his plans to beef up security at institution entrances.
“You have to keep the school safe,” he said.
Ukraine war ‘I want both sides to stop sending deaths’
When it came to the issue of the Ukraine war, Trump declined to directly answer whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war. “I want both parties to stop sending themselves to death,” he said.
Trump said that if he was president, the war would not happen.
“If I were president, I would address this issue 24 hours a day,” he said. He added that he would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“They all have weaknesses, they all have strengths, and within 24 hours the war will be over,” Trump said.
Pressed by the moderator, Trump said: “I don’t think regarding who wins and who loses. I think in terms of solving the problem, we need to stop killing all parties.”
“I want both sides to stop dying. Russians and Ukrainians are dying in the war,” he said.
Title 42 canceled Thursday as southern border faces wave of illegal immigration
Trump said he expects tens of thousands of people to flood into the United States on Thursday as Title 42 ends on Thursday.
Title 42 was enacted under Trump as a precautionary measure in times of a pandemic, allowing the U.S. to more easily deport illegal immigrants and prevent them from seeking asylum on public health grounds.
The Biden administration has sent 1,500 troops to the southern border in response to a surge in immigration following the end of Title 42.
Supreme Court overturning abortion case is ‘a great victory’
Trump said the Supreme Court’s overturning of the abortion case (the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned the Roe v. Wade decision) was “a great victory.”
That, he said, gives some negotiating leeway to those who care regarding life and do not support abortion.
He said that for half a century, Republican presidents have wanted to overturn Roe v. Wade, but only the justices he appointed have achieved this goal.
Trump town hall meeting not aired on Air Force One
President Biden did not appear to be paying attention to Trump’s town meeting on his way back to Washington tonight.
The White House press corps traveling with Biden reported that the television on the president’s plane was tuned to CNN on the flight to New York earlier today but to MSNBC on the return flight as Trump’s town hall meeting began up.
Within minutes of Trump wrapping up his CNN town hall, Biden’s personal Twitter account posted his fundraising appeal.
“It’s simple, guys. Do you still want (Trump) four more years? If you don’t want it, please donate to our campaign team.” A photo of Biden and Vice President Harris was attached at the bottom of the tweet.
Responsible editor: Li Yuan#
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