Colton Haab vs. CNN

On Wednesday night CNN took up the 2018 children’s crusade that is intended to produce gun control where previously there has only been left-wing frustration. After the event, RealClear Politics posted local television video of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Colton Haab. I wrote about it here yesterday morning.

Haab said he had been approached by CNN to ask a question at the event but decided not to after the network gave him a “scripted question” in lieu of one he wrote himself. Yesterday morning CNN issued a statement to the effect “that it did not, and does not, script any questions for town hall meetings, ever.” I was surprised to see CNN disputing one of the youngsters possessing absolute moral authority, but Haab lost his immunity somewhere along the way.

Last night Tucker Carlson followed up with young Mr. Haab on FOX News. RealClearPolitics has posted an account of the interview together with the video here. I have embedded the video below. Haab names a CNN name and supplies credible details supporting his claim. He held in his hand the question he says CNN wrote for him.

RCP has appended yesterday morning’s official statement by CNN senior public relations manager Richard Hudock to its accounts of Haab’s claim here (noting it was by Hudock) and here: “There is absolutely no truth to this. CNN did not provide or script questions for anyone in last night’s town hall, nor have we ever. After seeing an interview with Colton Haab, we invited him to participate in our town hall along with other students and administrators from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Colton’s father withdrew his name from participation before the forum began, which we regretted but respected. We welcome Colton to join us on CNN today to discuss his views on school safety.”

UPDATE: The Washington Post’s Erik Wemple explains: it’s a CNN non-scandal.

MORE: CNN has released the relevant documents to Business Insider, which has posted them all in its story that I note here. CNN has the better of it.

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