Riding high after his performance at a CNN town hall Wednesday night, President Donald Trump palled with the audience in a viral clip following the event.

Calling it a “friendly” experience, Trump yelled out, “Have a good time, everybody” before waving to cheering supporters and making his way from the stage. Off-screen, audience members applauded the former president who repeated his tagline “Make America Great Again” as a supporter called out, “You didn’t awesome Trump!”

While media prognosticators and liberal commentators were aflame over Trump getting a primetime hour on cable news to himself, his campaign team was “thrilled” at how the event went according to the New York Times.

The event, which required the campaign to coordinate closely with a network they have always been wary about, led to an extremely supportive audience that laughed at Trump’s jokes and joined him in jeering moderator Kaitlan Collins as she attempted to push back on false claims about the 2020 election.

WATCH:

More at:

BREAKING: Trump on Russia/Ukraine war: ‘I want everybody to stop dying’

“I don’t think in terms of winning and losing,” Trump said, “I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people.”

Kaitlan Collins really wanted to know which nation Trump would prefer win the war between Ukraine and Zelensky. Trump, however, would prefer a win for humanity. “I want everybody to stop dying,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly promised to put an end to the war were he to win the 2024 election, saying that he would sit down with Zelensky and Putin and bring the violence to an end.

Collins asked Trump if he would continue giving US funds to Ukraine were he to win the presidency. Trump, who did deliver US funds to Ukraine while he was president, instead spoke of his relationship with Ukraine’s President Zelensky, which was amiable during his time in office. 

“Would you give Ukraine weapons and funding if you were–” Collins asked, during one of the many moments when she interrupted Trump and spoke over him.

“If I’m president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours,” he said.

“How would you settle that war in one day?” Collins asked, incredulous.

“They both have weaknesses and they both have strengths. And within 24 hours that will be settled. It’ll be over it’ll be absolutely,” he said.

“Do you want Ukraine to win this war?” She asked, trying to back him into a corner and declare allegiance for one foreign nation or another.

“I don’t think in terms of winning and losing,” Trump said, “I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people…”

Trump was drowned out by applause, but then he was interrupted by Collins, who thought more of her targeted questioning than of listening for his answers.

When asked about Russia’s President Putin, who launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Trump said “he made a tremendous mistake.”

During his time in office, Trump started no new wars in America’s name though nearly every other president has done so. CNN’s Collins appeared to want him to profess to continuing this one that Biden has so heavily invested in, but Trump, who made the promise to pull troops out of Afghanistan and stop funding these foreign wars, would not do so, instead insisting peace was the only solution.

More at:

‘Most Voters Are Frankly Kinda Tired Of Y’all’: Rep. Byron Donalds Spars With CNN Panel Over Town Hall With Trump

Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds sparred with a CNN panel Wednesday about the network’s Republican Presidential town hall Wednesday.

Donalds accused the town hall of politically attacking former President Donald Trump on the issues, leading the panel to defend CNN anchor and former Daily Caller reporter Kaitlan Collins, adding that she fact checked the former president. The representative criticized the town hall for discussing the January 6 Capitol riot rather than inflation and political issues that matter more to the American voters.

“You do acknowledge Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, correct?” commentator Alyssa Farah Griffin asked.

“Again, we gonna continue to talk about 2020. Hold on, let me tell you why most voters are frankly kinda tired of y’all bringing this up. Inflation, border—” Donalds said.

“You don’t have the courage to express your opinion?” CNN anchor Anderson Cooper asked.

“I’m a Republican voter!” Griffin interjected. “I’m a Republican voter.”

Donalds pointed to inflation, the debt ceiling, fentanyl crises and foreign policy as topics that truly matter to the American voter. (RELATED: Trump Says E. Jean Carroll’s Story Is ‘Fake,’ Accuses Case Of Attempting ‘Election Interference’)

“You won’t state your opinion about what actually, factually what happened in the 2020 election? I want you to just speak the truth,” Cooper told Donalds.

“This is what’s frustrating to a lot of people. You want me to state it the way you want me to state it,” Donalds continued.

“No I don’t, I want you to just answer the question. Do you believe the election was rigged?” Cooper asked.

Donalds continued to explain Americans’ frustrations with current policy issues and their disinterest in January 6. He argued that all people can contest an election and go to court to challenge the results, and defended Trump for expressing his feelings on the 2020 election.

CNN’s Van Jones said Collins mastered fact-checking a “lie machine” on his statements about the 2020 elections on live television. Griffin commended Collins for holding herself together while facing “sexist attacks.”

“I thought Kaitlan did a masterful job. She’s a matador against the bull,” Jones said.

Griffin argued that other possible Republican contenders, including Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, are capable of securing the border and combating inflation. Donalds said Trump “did the job” and thus appeals to Republican voters.

More at:

Five notable moments from Trump’s CNN town hall