There’s a reason President Joe Biden agreed to do a town hall this week with CNN — the increasingly partisan left-wing cable network is friendly territory for him. He knows the questions will be easy. There won’t be any groundbreaking journalism.
On Thursday, CNN behaved not only as the Biden White House likely expected it would, but it also went a step further, tilting the scales fully in the president’s favor by taking seven questions from Democrats in the invitation-only audience and only two questions from Republican attendees. Moderator and host Anderson Cooper also took three questions from self-identified independents.
The first audience question went to a man named Nicholas Vaught, a Democrat, who teed the president up thus: “How will this new infrastructure plan help middle-class families pay for child care?”
The next audience question came from Vanessa Antrum, a Democrat, who asked, “What is being done to support the elderly, especially for middle-class families like mine?”
Next up was self-identified independent Ben Frederick, who asked the president what percentage of income he believes represents a taxable “fair share.”
Audience member Sondra Guttman, a Democrat, was given the next chance to ask the president about climate change.
“What can you do to ensure that all Americans can get the education that they need to face these issues?” she asked.
Cooper then tossed the next question to audience member John Meche, an independent.
“I had so much faith in your election win,” the supposed independent said. “But based on history, the bipartisan efforts of the Democratic Party are held hostage by rogue moderates and Republicans. Why not do like the Republicans and usher through the Democratic agenda?”
Audience member Kobi Khong, a Democrat (recognizing a pattern yet?), also asked a question regarding climate change.
What backup plans “do you have to ensure a future for the next generations?” Khong asked.
Then, there was Anna Hirsch, a Democrat, who asked Biden if his administration has “any policies or plans in place to aid the current supply chain problem and/or to help small businesses that are affected by [it]?”
Biden said he’d consider deploying the National Guard to help with the supply chain holdups.
Linda Harris, a Democrat, then asked the president what his administration plans to do to “help ease” the “current crunch” middle-class families are feeling.
The town hall moderator then turned the microphone over to Neijma Donnor, an independent, who said, “When will the vaccines for young children be ready? And how accessible will they be once released?”
Next was Thaddeus Price, a Democrat, who asked, “What will you do over the next three years to [address police reform], secure our democracy, and ensure the freedoms and liberties that all Americans should be entitled to?”
Finally, after three commercial breaks, nine audience questions from Democrats and independents, and with roughly 20 minutes remaining, Cooper turned to Megan Crawford, a Republican, who asked Biden about immigration.
“Throughout your campaign, you’ve criticized former President Trump for his treatment of illegal immigrants and the southern border,” she said. “Given that it’s nearly been a year into your campaign, why haven’t you been to the southern border of our country? And why did your stance on allowing immigrants suddenly revert to Trump-era policies?”
Cooper then turned the show over to Glenn Niblo, a Republican, who asked, “China just tested a hypersonic missile. What will you do to keep up with them militarily, and can you vow to protect Taiwan?”
That was it for audience questions.
Final tally: Seven questions from Democrats, three questions from independents, and two questions from Republicans. These are some telling numbers, considering Democrats account for 34% of all registered voters, independents account for 33%, and Republicans account for 29%, according to the Pew Research Center.
So, the town hall was not exactly a “lion’s den” situation. Then again, this is precisely why Biden, who has definitely lost his fastball in recent years, went on CNN in the first place.
