“CNN’s town hall with Donald Trump beat the cable news competition, as expected, with an average of 3.12 million viewers,” Deadline reports.

“Fox News averaged 1.41 million viewers in the 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. ET time frame, while MSNBC posted 1.37 million.”

Brian Stelter: “The event outrated Fox and MSNBC, as expected, but these are not 2015/16 level numbers for Trump — not even close.“

Charlie Sykes: “Critics had worried that giving the indicted, twice-impeached, coup-plotting, chronically-lying sexual predator an unedited, live television forum might turn out badly.”

“The reality, however, was far ghastlier; a shit show for the ages, and a moment that captured the thorough degradation of both our politics and the media.”

Said one observer: “It was a fucking nightmare and it was programmed to be a fucking nightmare.”

“Trump was, of course, thrilled.”

Amanda Carpenter: “The event was a disaster for the reason that all of Trump’s live events are problematic: It’s much easier to spew lies on live television than it is for anyone to push back against them. Live coverage privileges the liar, no matter how nimble the interviewer.”

“But it all happened because CNN wanted a show. And they sure got one. No one should pretend it was some kind of public service.”

From CNN’s media newsletter: “It’s hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening. It felt like 2016 all over again. It was Trump’s unhinged social media feed brought to life on stage.”

One CNN staffer told the Daily Beast: “One of the worst hours I’ve ever seen on our air.”

Donald Trump was questioned by Kaitlan Collins at CNN’s Town Hall in New Hampshire:

TRUMP: Are you ready? Can I talk?

COLLINS: Yeah, what’s the answer?

TRUMP: Do you mind?

COLLINS: I would like you to answer the question.

TRUMP: Okay, it’s very simple to answer.

COLLINS: That’s why I asked it.

TRUMP: You are a nasty person. I’ll tell you.

The crowd proceeded to laugh and cheer.

Tucker Carlson told Insider he is running for president in 2024, then claimed he was joking.

He added: “Totally kidding. Sorry. I can never control myself. I’m fundamentally a dick. My apologies.”

“Tucker Carlson’s announcement that he is moving to Twitter isn’t getting an enthusiastic reception on Madison Avenue, as many advertisers are already skittish about spending on the Elon Musk-owned social-media platform,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Several ad buyers said the arrival of Mr. Carlson will make it even harder for Twitter—which has faced an exodus of advertisers—to lure brands back.”

“Fox News was hit on Wednesday with another defamation lawsuit, this one from a woman who said the network promoted lies about her that generated serious threats to her safety and harmed her career prospects,” the New York Times reports.

“The suit was filed on behalf of Nina Jankowicz, the former executive director of a short-lived Department of Homeland Security division assigned with coordinating efforts to monitor and address disinformation threats to national security.”

“Right-wing pundits and politicians falsely portrayed her group as part of an Orwellian bid to control the speech and thought of ordinary Americans.”

“So no more live political events, because politicians can be nasty? Because politicians can tell lies? I’m not sure that news organizations should necessarily be in the business of making ideological judgments. Is he a legitimate object of news attention? You bet.”

— Former Nightline anchor Ted Koppel, quoted by the New York Times, on CNN’s town hall with Donald Trump tonight.

Playbook: “It was always going to be a consequential moment for Trump and for CNN, but it suddenly became even weightier yesterday after jurors in Manhattan sided with journalist E. Jean Carroll’s claim that Trump had forced himself on her nearly three decades ago in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room.”

“As is so often the case with Trump, it’s worth putting in perspective just how bonkers the circumstances are and just how crippling they would be for any other political figure. Instead, of course, Trump is vowing to charge ahead — launching what is likely to be a long appeals process and continuing to test his old supposition that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue (or at least be found civilly liable for a sexual assault on Fifth Avenue) without suffering a political price.”

“Tonight, he’ll be confronted on national television about all of it — facing Collins and GOP primary voters at New Hampshire’s Saint Anselm College. The town hall comes as Trump continues to devour the Republican presidential field despite a criminal indictment and multiple ongoing investigations into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.”

“At the center of the drama will be Collins, who was famously tough with Trump and his deputies during his administration.”

Tucker Carlson will relaunch his show on Twitter with help from former Fox News producers and staff, Puck reports.

He will forgo at least $25 million owed to him by Fox News in order to break his non-compete clause.

Of course, Carlson made the announcement on Twitter.

Axios: “The Twitter move would seem to technically violate Carlson’s contract with Fox, but his lawyers’ letter effectively holds that Fox breached the contract first.”

“Carlson already has gotten eye-popping offers from several right-wing outlets, and has talked to Elon Musk about working together.”

“Tucker Carlson is out at 8 p.m. on Fox News Channel, and the network hopes that a host of blue-chip advertisers that for years avoided his controversial hour will soon come back in,” Variety reports.

“Since Carlson’s stunning exit last month, a time slot that has been shunned by many Madison Avenue stalwarts seems as if it is being embraced.”

A new Morning Consult survey finds that Tucker Carlson’s fan base “is whiter, wealthier, more conservative and more male than the average Fox News fan.”

Also interesting: 75% of his fans expressed interest in watching Carlson on his own hypothetical media network.

“Tucker Carlson is preparing to unleash allies to attack Fox News in an effort to bully the network into letting him work for — or start — a right-wing rival,” Axios reports.

Said Bryan Freedman, the high-powered Hollywood lawyer Carlson retained for the contract dispute: “The idea that anyone is going to silence Tucker and prevent him from speaking to his audience is beyond preposterous.”

“Axios has learned Carlson is busy plotting a media empire of his own. But he needs Fox to let him out of his contract, which expires in January 2025 — after the presidential election. We’re told Carlson has been contacted by outlets — including the right-wing Rumble and Newsmax — that offered to pay him more than his Fox contract.”

Businessweek: “The clickbaity startup transformed culture war outrage and transphobia into a breakout media business. Now it’s trying to become the anti-Disney.”

New York Times: “Carlson is making it clear to people close to him that he would like to be back on the air somewhere soon. But he first needs Fox News to agree to a deal that would allow him to work elsewhere… leaving it unclear whether he will be able to start a new chapter in his media career before his current contract expires in January 2025.”