Ever since Donald Trump left office in January 2021, he has stayed in a cocoon of friendly right-wing media and his rally crowds of devoted supporters.
EDnews informs via BBC that while he occasionally has sparred with journalists riding on his private airplane, his television and radio appearances have been limited to the likes of Fox News and more politically extreme outlets.
On Wednesday, he ventured outside that bubble for a 90-minute townhall event on CNN, a cable news outlet he has repeatedly called fake news. It was an at-times chaotic evening that would be very familiar to anyone who followed Mr Trump as he scorched a path to the White House in 2016.
Here are six takeaways from the evening.
