A series of CNN town halls with Republican presidential contenders — though months apart — offered windows into some of the themes that have dominated the party’s 2024 primary from its outset and that continue to play central roles just weeks before the first votes are cast.
Five top-polling GOP hopefuls have participated in town halls hosted by CNN this year: former President Donald Trump in May; former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in June; and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy this week.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who has since dropped out of the race, also participated in a CNN town hall in June.
Here are six takeaways from those town halls:
Their positions differed, but most Republican candidates’ cautious comments when asked about abortion restrictions made plain that they are all worried about the same thing: potential backlash against the GOP in the 2024 general election.
At his May town hall, Trump touted the Supreme Court’s decision last year to overturn Roe v. Wade as “such a great victory” – and one made possible by his appointment of three conservative justices.
But he repeatedly ducked questions about how many weeks into a pregnancy abortion should be made illegal and whether he would sign a federal abortion ban into law. “We now have a great negotiating ability, and I think we’re going to be able to get something done,” Trump said.
Haley, in June, said she believes there is a “federal role” in restricting abortion rights. But she wouldn’t directly answer questions about at what point in pregnancies she would seek to outlaw the procedure.
Instead, Haley said she would seek a consensus on abortion that could overcome the Senate’s 60-vote threshold to end a filibuster. And she extended an olive branch to…
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