Trump schedules solo MSNBC town hall at same time as other top GOP hopefuls appear on CNN

Over the weekend, CNN announced that it would be broadcasting not one, but two GOP Town Halls this week. The first will be on Wednesday at 8pm, and the second will run the following day in the same time slot. Here's how it breaks down via CNN's website:

Over the course of two nights, all six of the remaining GOP presidential candidates will have the opportunity to answer questions from Palmetto State voters, who go to the polls on Saturday, February 20, for the Republican Party primary. CNN's Anderson Cooper will moderate both events. Ben Carson, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio will gather in Greenville for Wednesday night's prime-time broadcast. On Thursday, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush and John Kasich will appear in Columbia. The events will air live on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Espanol and be streamed live online on CNNGo.

So, in one of the trademark aggressive moves that either make you love him or hate him, Trump decided to schedule his own solo show to directly compete with the initial, Trump-free, CNN event. Morning Joe producer Jesse Rodriguez announced it via his Twitter feed:

NEWS: Joe & Mika will moderate a town hall with Donald Trump airing in prime time tomorrow at 8pmET @MSNBC

— Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) February 16, 2016

Instantly, a wide swath of Republicans started freaking out. They're calling Trump's solo appearance rude, egomaniacal, and self-aggrandizing, while MSNBC is being accused (heaven forbid) of bias. Frankly, whatever you may think of Trump, it's hard to argue that this isn't a remarkably shrewd move. Trump knows he's a big ratings draw, and his competing event gives him an hour of free airtime. He'll be able to take - at least in part - the spotlight away from his competitors' messages and perhaps even show that he can, by himself, draw an audience comparable to that of multiple detractors. Plus, if he isn't kicked from the CNN stage, he gets two nights of primetime exposure ahead of the South Carolina primary. There is a certain "give a man enough rope" danger here but, if Trump can keep it together, it's a win-win scenario.

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