On May 10th, an indicted Republican politician, who is currently embroiled in a defamation lawsuit related to a sexual assault, is being investigated for abuse of power in Georgia, for fraud in New York, and for attempting to overthrow the government in Washington D.C., will get a full-hour in front of a live audience on CNN. The network, which the indicted politician has frequently called an “enemy to the people” and “fake news” and whose inflammatory rhetoric once prompted a man to send pipe bombs to CNN — has assigned reporter Kaitlin Collins to the interview.

It’s clear that the struggling network has chosen to give a platform to a person unqualified for the role of President to help its sagging ratings. With Chris Licht as its CEO, CNN wants to appear as objective and non-partisan, but it’s not clear how giving a deranged man 60 minutes of free airtime will accomplish that. If previous experiences with the interviewee are any indication, he will be non-responsible, combative, and occasionally nonsensical. He will not be receptive to follow-up questions.

Indeed, after two impeachments, an indictment, multiple sexual assault allegations, and an attempt to overthrow the government, the Town Hall will only serve to rehabilitate the image of a figure undeserving of rehabilitation. Moreover, this particular figure will — as always — be graded on a steep curve. If the man — currently the subject of numerous lawsuits — does not puke all over himself or inappropriately touch the interviewer, the Town Hall will be considered a success.

CNN and the rest of the mainstream media, unfortunately, continue to value profit and shareholder value over Democracy. The lessons of 2016, 2020, and 2022 have yet to sink in.