CNN cancels Democratic presidential town halls because of impeachment trial

CNN has canceled the Democratic presidential town halls scheduled to take place next week ahead of the Iowa caucuses because of the ongoing impeachment trial, a CNN spokesperson said Thursday.

The network is working on rescheduling the town halls, the spokesperson said.

CNN was scheduled to host the leading contenders for the Democratic nomination at live, back-to-back town halls on January 28 and 29 from the campus of Drake University. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, businessman Andrew Yang and businessman Tom Steyer were scheduled to appear on Tuesday. The next night, former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar were set to appear.

The cancellation shows how the impeachment trial is upending the 2020 campaign schedule just days before the Iowa caucuses. Klobuchar, Sanders and Warren are absent from the trail as they serve as the jurors in the trial.