CNN doubtless could not believe its luck that it had scheduled a Republican Town Hall meeting on the same day the Pope questioned Donald Trump’s Christianity. “You’ve had an interesting day!” said Anderson Cooper with ill-concealed excitement as Trump took a South Carolina stage on Thursday night. “Ah, the pope is a wonderful guy,” said Trump, downplaying any beef with the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church. Trump then paid the Pope what is probably a very high compliment in Trump-speak: “I like him as a personality.”



Trump went on to say that he suspected the Pope didn’t fully understand the Republican candidate’s concerns about border security. And anyway, said Trump, “He’s got an awfully big wall at the Vatican.” Interestingly, this was almost exactly the same joke Stephen Colbert later made on Thursday night’s Late Show. (I guess they have been talking more on the Trump Phone that Colbert set up the night before.)



Speaking of funny people, Howard Stern came up in the interview. Cooper quoted from a Buzzfeed report saying that in a 2002 Howard Stern interview, Trump had supported the invasion of Iraq. Trump deflected the question, but made a point of saying that “Howard is very good, a great guy, a great interviewer.” Interviewer Cooper could do nothing but gulp and agree.



You have to love the way the freewheeling Trump cares not a bit how he might besmirch his fellow Republicans. Talking to Cooper about his health care proposals, Trump distinguished himself from his party this way: “Here’s where I’m a little bit different — I don’t want people dying on the streets… and that’s not a very Republican thing to say.”



Cooper asked a few light-hearted questions, about what kind of music and fast-food Trump likes. Trump said he likes Big Macs and recently “had Kentucky Fried Chicken — not the worst thing in the world.” Music? Trump reeled off a list including Elton John, the Beatles, and Michael Jackson, who, he reminded us, lived with then-newlywed Lisa Marie Presley in Trump Tower for a period. “People say they didn’t get along — not true. They were up there [in their room] for a week!”

Trump opined that Jackson was an “enormous talent” who “lost his confidence because of bad, bad, bad plastic surgery.”

Preceding Trump on the CNN special were John Kasich and Jeb Bush. (Each candidate was given a separate interview by Cooper and members of an audience.) Among the highlights: Kasich said he was “pro-Pope.” Bush was asked what his favorite kind of music is. “I like country music,” said Bush promptly. “Zac Brown [and] the Florida Georgia Band.” Well, close: Florida Georgia Line will probably be flattered to hear they’re a Jeb fave.

