CNN recycles old looks for Trump town hall

CNN’s much-hyped town hall with Donald Trump aired May 10, 2023, from Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire using its existing election look both in its graphics and on the stage.

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The town hall’s open used a cut from the network’s election theme music along with an updated animated sequence with the angular red, white and blue look found in the network’s election graphics package, though it notably toned down the use of 3D models of Washington landmarks and removed the circular girder element and boxed portraits for a look that felt a bit more cohesive.

The stage of the Dana Center’s Koonz Theatre, meanwhile, was festooned with vertical banners mirroring the same look that appear to be similar, if not the same ones, used at other CNN-sponsored events at the college in the past, including ahead of the 2020 election.

Hints of the presidential seal and White House peek through various parts of the design, which was configured to read as a single, large image.

Two additional panels far stage left and right featured the “CNN Republican Presidential Town Hall” branding, which obviously would have had to be created for the occasion.

Other events using this configuration, including ones at the college, have had LED video wall background elements brought in, but the May 2023 event did not use any such technology.

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The theatre has two angled sections of audience seating near the stage, which juts out into the audience to form a point near the center aisle.

CNN added its logo in the form of a decal on the glossy black floor of the stage.

The network also used a U-shaped collection of metal posts with glass panels frosted with a row of repeating CNN logos around the seating area where host Kaitlan Collins and Trump sat. These have also been used at other CNN events.

Both Trump and Collins each had a white stool with footrest and a small circular table with a CNN-branded mug sitting on each.