After facing criticism from the community for hosting a CNN town hall with former president and current GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, St. Anselm College defended its decision to host the May 10 event while stating it was “deeply troubled” by one portion.
Former President Trump took questions from New Hampshire Republican and undeclared voters at the Benedictine college during the televised town hall moderated by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in which he repeated unfounded claims about the 2020 election and took credit for bringing about the end of Roe v. Wade.
The town hall event took place in New Hampshire, home to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, a key contest for any candidate on the road to the White House. The live audience consisted of Republican primary voters and Republican-leaning undeclared voters. The event was chaotic at times, with Collins and Trump speaking over one another and some of Trump’s Republican supporters in the audience cheering his comments.
CNN faced criticism for hosting the former president, who has made claims, without providing evidence, that the 2020 election was “rigged” against him. But the network defended its decision, as well as Collins’ moderation of the event, arguing in a statement that Collins “asked tough, fair and revealing questions.”
The event took place the day after a federal jury in New York found him liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll. Trump denied involvement and also claimed that verdict was “rigged.”
During the town hall, Trump made comments mocking his accuser as “a whack job” as members of the audience laughed.
In a May 12 statement, St. Anselm College said it “was deeply troubled by the former president’s remarks regarding the civil trial with a finding that he was liable for sexual assault.”
“Equally disturbing was the audience’s reaction, nearly all of whom were not members of the Saint Anselm community, with laughter,” the statement said. “The college does not tolerate sexual misconduct of any kind, including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual harassment.”
St. Anselm College is a private Benedictine liberal arts college and the third-oldest Catholic college in New England, according to its website. It also is home to the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, which has provided a nonpartisan forum for presidential candidates visiting the state since 2001.
In its statement issued after the event, the college noted it has hosted every major candidate for president since 1960.
“For more than a generation, Saint Anselm has participated in the democratic process, underscoring our mission to provide a transformative education that fosters critical thinking skills for our students,” Joseph Favazza, the college’s president, said in a statement. “We look forward to hosting many more town halls, debates and other political events, as we once again play this important role for our community and our country.”
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