Washington: At the first televised town hall of the 2024 US presidential election on Wednesday, an unrepentant Donald Trump stood by his old grievances and made it abundantly clear that he has little intention of running a more organised campaign for his third run for the White House.
In a divisive 70-minute interview, Trump made jokes about author E. Jean Carroll's allegations of sexual abuse, repeated lies about his loss in the 2020 election, declared he would pardon many of his supporters found guilty of participating in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and referred to his CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins as a "nasty person" to laughter from the audience in New Hampshire.
Trump made no attempt to provide more moderate positions on issues when responding to questions from Collins and audience members at Saint Anselm College, which political analysts say is crucial to increasing his appeal to a larger swath of Republicans.
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When asked by Collins if he would admit that he lost the 2020 election to the Democrat Joe Biden, the Republican Trump reiterated his unfounded claims that the process was rigged in his favour, ignoring her attempts to correct the record.
Trump declared, "That was a rigged election," calling anyone who disagreed "stupid."
Trump, the front-runner in the Republican primary, chose not to apologise for the deadly attack on the US Capitol when backers tried to stop Congress from approving the election results. He also reiterated his intention to pardon those responsible if voters send him back to the White House in 2024.
"I have a tendency to forgive most of them. I can't speak for every single one because, most likely, a few of them spiralled out of control, said Trump.
Collins frequently corrected Trump's false statements about the 2020 election and the attack on January 6 that followed a speech he gave to supporters outside the White House that day. Trump and Collins frequently talked over one another.
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"I've never addressed a group that size, and they were there because they believed the election had been rigged. With love in their hearts, they were present. It was a gorgeous day, and that was unbelievable, he said.
Trump received a standing ovation when he entered the stage from the Republican and independent voters in the crowd who intend to cast ballots in the Republican primary. New Hampshire is a crucial early-voting state that could be important.
In response to Trump's comments, the DNC claimed that for 20 minutes, the former leader "lied about the 2020 election" and criticised his description of January 6, 2021 as "a beautiful day."
Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for the DNC, said in a statement, "This would be disgusting if it weren't so dangerous." Collins attempted to corroborate Trump's claims in real time, but Trump wouldn't budge, and the two occasionally talked over one another.
On Tuesday, a federal jury determined that Trump had molested Carroll in a Manhattan department store dressing room in the 1990s. He later damaged Carroll's reputation by calling her claims "a hoax" and "a lie."
What kind of woman introduces someone and then, moments later, you're playing hanky-panky in a changing room? Trump said, one of many insults directed at Carroll that were met with laughter and applause. He referred to her as a "wack job." "Today, the world finally knows the truth," Carroll said in a statement following the verdict on Tuesday. This victory belongs to all women who have endured suffering as a result of being disbelieved, not just to me. In a 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape, Trump boasted about grabbing women by the genitalia and implied that celebrities could have their way with them. Trump stood by his comments. At his trial, Trump was accused of making the remarks.
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"And you want me to retract that, right?" It happens to be true, so I can't take it back. I stated that it has been true for about a million years, possibly a little bit longer, according to Trump. "I'm not talking about myself; I'm talking about famous people, celebrities." An audience member asked Trump what he had to say to supporters who claim that his absence from the two-week trial disqualifies him from serving as president. Trump was not present for the entire trial. Well, since my poll results just came out, there aren't too many of them. They rose, he declared.