A survivor of the school shooting in Florida has accused CNN of giving him a scripted question for a town hall meeting but the news outlet denies the accusation.
“There is absolutely no truth to this. CNN did not provide or script questions for anyone in last night’s town hall, nor have we ever,” read a message posted to CNN’s Twitter page.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“After seeing an interview with Colton Haab, we invited him to participate in our town hall along with other students and administrators from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School,’ the statement continued.
“Colton’s father withdrew his name from participation before the forum began, which we regretted but respected. We welcome Colton to join us on CNN today to discuss his views on school safety,” CNN’s statement concluded.
CNN response to the claim of a “scripted question” for last night’s town hall: pic.twitter.com/Mz1hMqqfkw
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) February 22, 2018
Haab claimed that the news organization asked him to participate in the televised town hall meeting they aired on Wednesday, but that after he presented a written statement and set of questions they asked him to read something scripted instead. Haab then opted not to appear at the town hall.
During that same town hall meeting, one of the other Florida school shooting survivors asked Senator Marco Rubio, “Why do we have to march on Washington just to save innocent lives?”
“You’re right,” Sen. Rubio replied. “What you’ve lived through, and what you live through, is not supposed to be a part of your high school experience.”
The moment was captured on CNN while Sen. Rubio, Sen. Bill Nelson Rep. Ted Deutch, and NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch, conversed with a group of survivors from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
Rubio went on to explain that he is currently supporting a measure that would allow law enforcement to take guns away from anyone who is reported by a close family member as being a threat.
“And that person will have due process,” Rubio said. “Because I believe that if that were in place in Florida … it could have prevented this from happening.”
Ryan Deitsch, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas senior who asked the question, then respectfully interrupted, “If I may, I do appreciate your words there. But that feels like the first step of a 5K run.”
“It most certainly is,” Rubio acknowledged. “I would say it’s more than a 5K run … This issue will take more than a 5K run because there’s so much to do. But that is an important step, and if that happens in the next three weeks, it’ll be because of what you guys have done.”
