Colton Haab, a Junior ROTC student and survivor of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., last week, said he going to participate in the CNN town hall Wednesday night, but decided not to when he said the network provided him with a list of “scripted questions.”
“I expected to be able to ask my questions and give my opinions on my questions,” Haab told a local ABC affiliate, WPLG-TV. “CNN had originally asked me to write a speech and questions, and it ended up being all scripted.”
Haab said he was asked to prepare a speech and some questions. He was planning to ask about school safety and the possibility of using veterans as armed security guards in schools, but was rejected by CNN. After being told he had to ask a scripted question, Haab decided not to attend the town hall.
“I don’t think that it’s going get anything accomplished. It’s not gonna ask the true questions that all the parents and teachers and students have,” Haab said.
CNN tweeted a response statement Thursday morning saying there was no truth in Haab’s claims.
“There is absolutely no truth to this,” CNN Communications tweeted. “CNN did not provide or script questions for anyone in last night’s town hall, nor have we ever.”
The CNN communications statement said Haab’s father withdrew his name from participating in the town hall before it began. The team also invited Haab to come on CNN some time on Thursday to discuss his views on school safety.
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
NOTE: This story has been updated with CNN’s response.
