Kirsten Gillibrand is currently at 1% in the polling average for the 2020 Democratic primary race.

Despite that, CNN gave her a “town hall” last night, which as I’ve said before is really just an in-kind contribution from a partisan political entity. There are no tough questions, the audiences are usually stacked with activists, and the questions are pre-screened, not organic like a real town hall.

Here are a few highlights, just to give you an idea of the incredibly difficult questioning she endured.

These questions are just riveting #CNNTownHall pic.twitter.com/kr2tpJLzqz

— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) April 10, 2019

The “what inspired you” question is strictly a Democrat phenomenon. You never hear a Republican asked such a friendly, open-ended question.

Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand says the NRA opposes background checks because it wants to sell guns to people “on the terror watch list,” “gravely mentally ill with a violent background,” or “criminal[s] convict[ed] for a violent crime”

None of this is true

CNN offered no pushback pic.twitter.com/Q1Cnb6VvvF

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) April 10, 2019

The issue with the above question is two-fold.

First, what makes illiberal opposition of constitutional rights “open-minded?” It’s actually been shown to be a very close-minded viewpoint. Facts never matter, statistics never matter, and the policy ideas that mostly emanate would do nothing to solve any problem of gun violence.

Secondly, everything she says there is objectively untrue. The NRA does not sell guns. They also do not support selling guns to people convicted of any felony, much less violent crimes. The “terror watch list” and “gravely mentally ill” lines are red herrings. The issue is not keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people. The issue is having constitutional due process before you are placed on a “terror watch list.” If the government can subvert rights simply by arbitrarily placing you on a “list” with no adjudication, that’s pretty much tyranny. It’s the kind of thing 3rd world dictators do and the Democrat party apparently has no problem with it.

I’d ask ironically if they’d also support taking free speech away from people placed on government lists, but I’d guess they support that as well.

Perhaps sensing how the town hall would go, Gillibrand posted this video before appearing.

Getting ready for tonight’s CNN town hall! pic.twitter.com/ighOcg2w2s

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) April 9, 2019

The hilariously sad pandering aside, she got to hit softballs twice yesterday.

No better way to get ready for softball questions than playing actual softball. https://t.co/3ZHvIMOFcp

— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) April 9, 2019

It goes without saying at this point but I’d rather just keep saying it. CNN is a joke.

The entire “town hall” setup being used by them and MSNBC is simply a way to promote liberal candidates without having to declare it under campaign finance law. They are not acting as neutral arbiters. They ask no challenging questions, nor do they allow opposing viewpoints to even be raised. It’s simply propaganda.