CBS News and the Free Press Organize Town Halls and Debates Featuring JD Vance, Sam Altman, and Wes Moore
CBS News is partnering with The Free Press to launch a series of town halls and debates set to begin in early 2026, following an event featuring Erika Kirk last week.
The initiative, titled Things That Matter, will kick off with a town hall featuring Vice President JD Vance. Future sessions are also slated to include discussions with OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Maryland Governor Wes Moore.
The series will feature several debates, addressing topics such as “Should Gen Z Believe in the American Dream?” with Isabel Brown and Harry Sisson, as well as “Does America Need God?” featuring Ross Douthat and Steven Pinker. Liz Plank and Allie Beth Stuckey will discuss the question, “Has Feminism Failed Women?”
While moderators have yet to be announced, CBS News confirmed that these audience events will take place across the country.
Recent viewership data highlights the reach of these events. The Kirk town hall, moderated by Bari Weiss, attracted an average of 1.9 million viewers and 265,000 in the 25-54 demographic on Saturday. Though this figure fell short of the year-to-date average for the hour and the viewership of Kirk’s earlier appearance on Fox News’ The Five, CBS News noted it surpassed the network’s season-to-date performance in the 8 p.m. ET slot and became the most-watched interview ever on the network’s social media platforms.
This series represents one of Weiss’s initial initiatives since becoming the head of CBS News’ news division in October. In addition to her appointment, Paramount’s new owners acquired her center-right publication, The Free Press, which has now integrated into the CBS News website.
