Daily Wire host Michael Knowles and journalist Mehdi Hasan debated whether President Donald Trump has upheld constitutional norms at a May 5 event hosted by the Dartmouth Political Union. Organizers’ audience polling showed a small shift toward Knowles’ position by the end of the program.
The Dartmouth Political Union hosted a debate titled “Constitutional Norms Under President Trump,” featuring conservative commentator Michael Knowles of The Daily Wire and journalist Mehdi Hasan, the founder, CEO and editor-in-chief of the media company Zeteo.
According to Dartmouth College’s news site, the roughly 90-minute event covered topics including immigration and due process, free speech and press freedom, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and broader questions about presidential power.
Organizers released results from a live audience poll taken before the debate showing 78% of attendees said Trump had not upheld the Constitution, while 22% said he had. A post-debate poll taken after audience questions found that share rose to 28%, with 72% still saying Trump had not—an increase of six percentage points for the position more aligned with Knowles’ argument.
The event took place in Cook Auditorium and drew more than 300 in-person attendees, Dartmouth reported. The college said the debate’s livestream had been viewed more than 57,000 times as of May 6.
During the discussion, Hasan argued Trump’s actions and rhetoric represented a significant break from constitutional tradition, while Knowles contended that the constitutional record of modern presidents includes broad assertions of executive authority and that Trump’s conduct should be viewed in that historical context.
