He should have put the votes back to the state legislature, says former US president
Former US president Donald Trump reiterated his 2020 election rigging allegations as he appeared on a CNN Town Hall Wednesday night.
During the show, he criticised former vice president Mike Pence for not overturning the election, called E Jean Carroll a "whack job" and reiterated that the 2020 elections were rigged.
"No, because he did something wrong. He should have put the
votes back to the state legislature," Trump said, while inaccurately
stressing that the former vice president had the legal authority to reject
some states’ electoral votes.
Trump underlined during his
appearance at CNN Town Hall that he did not know E Jean Carroll nor he meet
her, adding that “I have no idea who she is.” Trump also brushed aside the
possible loss of female voters after the verdict.
The audience
supported Trump's views as they were laughing at his jokes and dismissive
remarks about Carroll.
On Tuesday, a New York jury declared Trump had abused advice
columnist Carroll 27 years earlier and ordered the 76-year-old to pay her $5
million in damages for her battery and defamation claims.
Trump
also kept up his habit of calling names.
According to Trump,
Democratic former House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi is “a crazy woman”, Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis, a likely 2024 Republican presidential primary rival,
is "DeSantimonious."
Pence is "the human conveyor belt." The US
Capitol Police officer who shot and killed Babbitt is a "thug".
And
when Collins pressed Trump about documents he took from the White House, he
said: "You're a nasty person."
CNN had been under fire for
inviting Trump to Town Hall as people feared that he would reiterate and
spread the lies and misinformation which led to the Capitol Hill
incident.
"CNN should be ashamed of themselves," progressive
congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Twitter, writing further that
“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."
However, a CNN spokesperson said in a defence: "Our job,
despite his unique circumstances, is to do what we do best. Ask tough
questions, follow up, and hold him accountable to give voters the
information they need to sort through their choices. That is our role and
our responsibility.”
After the CNN Town Hall, US President Joe
Biden tweeted: "It's simple, folks. Do you want four more years of
that?"