Donald Trump, the candidate for the US presidential elections in 2024, appeared in prime time on Wednesday evening on CNN, which he has always insulted.
This televised interview with voters in New Hampshire is his first media appearance since a civil court in New York found him responsible for the sexual harassment of a former journalist.
“I’m on my way to New Hampshire. CNN, live this evening at 20:00,” Trump wrote on his “Truth Social” platform.
And Trump’s choice of this state bordering Canada is not accidental, as New Hampshire is one of the first states in which the Republican Party organizes primaries in early 2024.
A victory in this state would guarantee Trump, who is currently leading the opinion polls, a strong impetus for the rest of his campaign.
But what is surprising is his choice of CNN, with which his relations are characterized by much tension.
Under his presidency, the Republican billionaire doubled down on his attacks on the media, some of which he described as “the enemy of the people”.
In 2017, Trump posted on his Twitter account a video showing him throwing a wrestler, whose face was replaced by the CNN logo.
In 2018, the former Republican president addressed one of the channel’s journalists, saying, “You are impolite and a terrible person!” Before he withdraws his accreditation temporarily in the White House.
Last October, Trump filed a complaint against the channel, accusing it of defaming him to discourage him from running for the 2024 elections, and demanding $475 million in compensation.
But in a fiercely competitive media world, channels need an audience, and Trump’s antics, whether shocking or entertaining, attract viewers.
