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Wednesday night in New Hampshire, former President Donald Trump will participate in a CNN town hall meeting. File Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI
Wednesday night in New Hampshire, former President Donald Trump will participate in a CNN town hall meeting. File Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo

May 10 (UPI) — In a televised event Wednesday night, former President Donald Trump repeated his claim that the 2020 election “was rigged” and said he played no role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The former president also called his recent multiple legal challenges “election interference.”

Trump’s appearance at CNN’s town hall meeting Wednesday night in New Hampshire was his first on the network since 2016.

The televised appearance comes one day after a Manhattan jury found Trump liable in the sexually battery and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll, who was awarded $5 million.

“What’s happening is they’re doing this for election interference,” Trump said Wednesday night. “This woman. I don’t know her. I never met her. I have no idea who she is.”

Trump also may face questions about charges from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg over hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, as well as Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the former president’s role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Some media and politics observers have questioned why CNN is hosting Trump given his history of attacking the press. Other, though, note the former president remains a newsworthy subject.

“So no more live political events, because politicians can be nasty? Because politicians can tell lies?” Ted Koppel, the renown former “Nightline” anchor, said in an interview, according to the New York Times. “I’m not sure that news organizations should necessarily be in the business of making ideological judgments. Is he a legitimate object of news attention? You bet.”

Bob Schieffer, a longtime CBS news anchor, said interviews of important political figures were necessary. “There’s no question he might well get the nomination,” he said of Trump. “We’re in the business of telling people who’s running for what and what they stand for.”

At the televised event on Wednesday, Trump is taking questions from Republican and undecided voters. Comments are airing live and without time delay, meaning moderator Kaitlan Collins will be forced to correct inaccurate comments on the fly.

The town hall began at 8 p.m. ET and is being hosted by Kaitlin Collins, the anchor of “CNN This Morning.”

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