What did Donald Trump say at CNN Town Hall?

Former US president Donald Trump appeared on a CNN Town Hall Wednesday night and repeated all the things he has been saying since his first presidential campaign in 2016.

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.

The former president said upon being asked what would his advice be to the Republicans in Washington, he said: "I say to the Republicans out there — congressmen, senators — if they don't give you massive [spending] cuts, you're going to have to do a default. I don't believe they’re going to do a default because I think the Democrats will absolutely cave."

"Default would be preferable to a result that doesn’t stop the government from spending money like drunken sailors," Trump insisted.

The US touched the debt ceiling in January forcing Treasury Department to take so-called extraordinary measures to avoid default. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had warned that the US could default on its obligations as soon as June 1 if Congress doesn’t address the debt limit.

According to Moody's Analytics: "A default would eliminate millions of jobs, with generational wealth wiped out."

On the Abortion ban, Trump noted: "I’m looking at a solution that’s going to work. The very complex issue for the country. You have people on both sides of an issue, but we are now in a very strong position. Pro-life people are in a strong position to make a deal that’s going to be good and going to be satisfactory for them."

When asked whether would he accept the 2020 results of Joe Biden, he refused, adding that "he would only accept the 2024 election results if he thinks it was an honest election".

Upon Russia Ukraine war that started in February 2022, Trump said: "I want everybody to stop dying. Russians and Ukrainians, I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done. I’ll have that done in 24 hours."

While talking about what he would do when he would come to the White House, he noted he was "inclined to pardon many" of those convicted for their participation in the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.

He said he won't be able to pardon "every single one" but said, "it will be a large portion of them."

He castigated the US Capitol Police officer who killed rioter Ashli Babbitt, who was attempting to crawl through a broken window leading to the House Speaker's Lobby.

Trump also noted that "zero tolerance" remained a strong deterrent for migrants coming to the United States.

"When you say to a family that if you come, we’re going to break you up, they don’t come," Trump said.

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?"