Whatever your political lean, it was jarring to watch an audience laugh and jeer as a potential presidential candidate attempted to make light of a woman who less than a day earlier, he had been found to have sexually abused.
Yesterday former US President Donald Trump attended a town hall hosted by CNN. It was the first time Trump had appeared on the network in person since 2016, frequently lambasting CNN as the "fake news media".
CNN itself faced criticism for having him on at will, saying he would give a platform for misinformation. The network could never ignore than man who - at this stage - will almost definitely be selected as the Republican party candidate for next year's election.
For anyone wanting the presidency, these events can also be tricky.
You need to look relaxed, but serious. At ease with the people, but also presidential.
For Donald Trump's legions of loyal fans, the appearance would have been seen as a victory. When asked about what he would about dire economic situation, his simple answer of "drill baby drill" – reference drilling for oil, was met with rapturous applause by the republican audience.
They also also loved it when he called CNN host Kaitlin Collins a "nasty person" when being challenged on one of his many legal conundrums.
Many of them laughed with him as he shrugged off the verdict this week from a jury that found Trump had sexually abused American journalist E. Jean Carroll.
He said many facing those allegations would resign – but not him. More applause.
Trump also kept beating the drum of "election fraud" repeatedly – despite their being no proof of election fraud. More applause.
While Donald Trump has a strong base of dedicated supporters, it will be a challenge convincing many Americans that another Trump presidency (with his particular brand of politics) is what the USA needs right now.
Given the state of the economy, increasingly hostile polarisation and division over issues around gun control and abortion rights, as well as a more volatile world in general, will need serious consideration.
One of the other more striking moments of the broadcast was when Trump was quizzed about US military aid to Ukraine, where he claimed that if he was elected president, he could end the war in “24 hours”.
“If I were president this would never have happened," he said.
“I want everybody to stop dying. And I’ll have that done in 24 hours. You need the power of the presidency to do it.”
He gave no definitive plan for making that happen.
The only thing for certain - Trump's assertions would have made a busy day for fact-checkers.
Logan Church is the incoming TVNZ US Correspondent who will be based out of New York from October.
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