CNN Town Hall with Senate Candidate James Talarico
CNN’s Erin Burnett is gearing up to moderate a town hall featuring progressive Texas Senate candidate James Talarico next month. This comes as the network continues to have a strained relationship with the Trump administration over accusations of biased coverage.
A press release issued on Monday morning revealed that CNN is collaborating with Jubilee Media for the event, which will take place live from Texas on Wednesday, October 14. Talarico will field questions from Burnett and a live audience comprising Texas voters.
According to CNN, “The audience will be made up of Democrats, Republicans, and Independent voters.” While CNN is often viewed as left-leaning media, Jubilee has gained traction among younger audiences for hosting debates that cover a variety of topics and viewpoints.
A town hall invitation has also been sent to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican candidate challenging Talarico for the Senate seat previously held by John Cornyn, who was defeated in the GOP primary.
Burnett, who has previously moderated a Democratic primary debate and interviewed various Democratic candidates during the recent election cycle, has criticized President Trump for excluding CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House press pool. She argued that this exclusion is akin to actions seen in countries with more authoritarian regimes.
On a recent episode of “Erin Burnett OutFront,” she discussed the ban, suggesting that Trump uses the term “fake news” to dismiss any unfavorable stories. Burnett went as far as to compare Trump’s actions to those of China’s Xi Jinping, who controls media narratives and silences dissent.
Interestingly, Burnett has at times questioned the boundaries of free speech, particularly concerning Trump. When Trump was banned from Twitter in January 2021, she did not dispute the idea that social media platforms should restrict him over safety concerns.
In another instance, when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was suspended from Twitter for her views on COVID-19, Burnett asked a guest if Twitter should intervene in what she called misleading messaging. The guest defended free speech, suggesting that even misguided opinions should have a place in America.
After the White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, a federal judge ruled that these outlets should be reinstated immediately. However, CNN was still excluded from traveling with Trump on Air Force One shortly after this ruling.
Attorney General Todd Blanche supported the administration’s decision in a TV interview, explaining that the White House often determines media access on Air Force One and that there are instances where certain reporters are not allowed to fly.
