Trump campaign eyes reconciliation with legacy media to boost 2024 bid

Former President Donald Trump's campaign is reportedly looking to reestablish relationships with legacy media outlets in the hopes of reaching new voters and asserting control of the news cycle.

"Going outside the traditional Republican ‘comfort zone’ was a key to President Trump’s success in 2016. Some other candidates are too afraid to take this step in their quest to defeat Joe Biden, and are afraid to do anything other than Fox News," a Trump adviser told The Hill.

The adviser's remarks follow Monday reports that Trump will participate in a CNN town hall event in New Hampshire on May 10, to be hosted by "CNN This Morning" anchor Kaitlan Collins. Trump has not appeared on CNN since the 2016 presidential campaign.

The Hill suggested that Trump's participation in such events might serve to boost network ratings while also helping him establish a measure of legitimacy as a candidate following his media blackout in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

It further noted that CNN and MSNBC in particular would need to strike a delicate balance in their coverage, since both sustained intense criticism for their coverage of Trump during the 2016 presidential election.

Trump's media appearances have largely been limited to conservative outlets in the past few years and featuring on a broader range of networks may serve to bolster his electoral prospects. He currently stands as the leader in the race for the Republican nomination and is 29.2% ahead of his nearest rival, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, in the RealClearPolitics polling average.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.