Trump declines to tell CNN forum if he wants Ukraine to win its war against Russian invaders

Former President Donald Trump ended his six-year boycott of CNN on Wednesday night, sitting down with anchor Kaitlan Collins for a 70-minute town hall event with supportive likely Republican voters in New Hampshire. CNN's Jake Tapper, speaking directly afterward, called it "an interesting night." "Mr. Trump's first lie was told just seconds into the night," he said, "and the falsehoods kept coming, fast and furious."
One CNN staffer told The Washington Post it was a "total debacle." Collins was "in a no-win situation," another staffer said. "I can't believe anyone thought this was a good idea."
Collins repeatedly "attempted to correct inaccurate claims" Trump made about a wide range of topics," the Post reports, "but she found her rebuttals falling on deaf ears." The "most significant thing about Trump's town hall wasn't anything he said about the 2020 election, the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, or the federal jury that found him liable for sexual battery," Politico adds. "It was that on all of those issues," the Republican audience "was siding with him," laughing and cheering when he dissembled, again stood by his infamous claim that women let stars like him grab them in the genitals, and called Collins a "nasty person."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump did make some news in his return to mainstream television. He suggested the U.S. should default on its debt if President Biden doesn't agree to the House GOP's steep budget cuts, telling Collins the free spending and clean debt limit increases of his presidency were different because "that's when I was president" and "now I'm not president." He said if elected again he would be "inclined" to pardon "a large portion" of the convicted Jan. 6 rioters.
And Trump repeatedly declined to say if he would continue funding Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion, or even if he wants Ukraine or Russia to win the war. "I don't think in terms of winning and losing," Trump claimed. He inflated the $36.9 billion the U.S. has given Ukraine in military aid to $171 billion.
Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin "a smart guy" who "made a bad mistake" in invading Ukraine, and claimed he would use his "great relationship" with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to end the war within 24 hours of taking office. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) tweeted that Trump is still "Putin's puppet," adding that "despite how ridiculous" it was for Trump to claim he could end the Ukraine war in a day, "I suspect he would try to do it by turning Ukraine over to Putin and Russia."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
What's at stake in the Mahmoud Khalil deportation fight?
Talking Points Vague accusations and First Amendment concerns
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Why is a new Air Force One taking so long to build?
The Explainer Trump may look for alternatives for his new plane
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
New and notable podcasts for March
Feature The MeidasTouch Podcast and The Magnificent Others With Billy Corgan
By The Week US Published
-
Trump hawks Teslas, slashes more federal jobs
Speed Read The Education Department cut its workforce in half ahead of an expected Trump order to shutter the agency
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine agrees to ceasefire, ending US aid freeze
Speed Read Kyiv made peace with the Trump administration by agreeing to an immediate ceasefire in its war against Russian invaders
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Greenland's surprising election result
The Explainer Unexpected success for Demokraatit after a campaign overshadowed by Trump's threats
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Budget: Will the GOP cut entitlements?
Feature Republicans are pushing for a budget to cut Medicaid
By The Week US Published
-
U.S. tariffs spark North American trade war
Feature Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China lead to market turmoil and growing inflation concerns
By The Week US Published
-
The fallout of Trump's halt on military aid for Ukraine
Feature European leaders push for a cease-fire to mend U.S.-Ukraine ties
By The Week US Published
-
Media: A collective surrender to Trump?
Feature The Washington Post’s staff are instructed to focus its opinion pages on promoting 'personal liberties' and 'free markets'
By The Week US Published
-
Trump and Putin: Not a hoax
Feature Trump is pulling the U.S. closer to Russia, undoing decades of diplomacy
By The Week US Published