"Just like so much of CNN, Fake News. That’s why their ratings are so bad!" President Donald Trump tweeted. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo Trump tweets on student who claims CNN wrote scripted question, CNN disputes claim

President Donald Trump bashed CNN in a tweet Thursday after he appeared to see a report that the network allegedly tried to get a student to read a scripted question at a town hall on gun violence.

The cable news channel rejected Trump's assertion.


“School shooting survivor says he quit @CNN Town Hall after refusing scripted question.” @TuckerCarlson. Just like so much of CNN, Fake News. That’s why their ratings are so bad! MSNBC may be worse," the president wrote online.

Colton Haab, a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — the Florida school where 17 people where shot and killed last week, early Thursday morning claimed that CNN wrote a scripted question to ask at a town hall the network hosted where students, parents and teachers could ask questions to lawmakers, in addition to an NRA spokeswoman.

Haab was also interviewed Thursday evening on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight," to which he recounted those remarks and added that attending the event would have been a "total waste of time."

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CNN responded to Trump's tweet saying: "There is absolutely no truth to this story — and we can prove that. CNN did not provide or script questions for anyone in last night's town hall, nor have we ever. Those are the facts. #FactsFirst"

The network released a statement following the initial report saying there was no truth to Haab's statement. The network continued to say that Haab's father withdrew his name from the town hall.