Trump’s defiance at the CNN town hall may scare off many voters — but not the GOP base

By STEVE PEOPLES
AP National Political Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump’s defiant performance at the CNN town hall may ultimately hurt his standing with key groups of voters in next fall’s general election. But Trump also demonstrated his extraordinary grip on the voters who will decide the GOP’s looming 2024 nomination fight. The magnitude of the challenge ahead for Trump’s Republican rivals was painfully exposed as the former president repeatedly turned his greatest political liabilities into jokes and applause lines for the Republican voters in attendance. On Thursday, Trump’s Republican critics conceded publicly and privately that they don’t know how to stop him. So far, at least, they have been unable or unwilling to use his most egregious behavior against him.