During a contentious CNN town hall Wednesday night, President Trump dug in on his claims about the 2020 election, downplayed the violence on January 6, 2021, and repeatedly insulted the woman whom a civil jury this week found him liable of sexually abusing and defaming.

Mr. Trump, returning to the network after years of acrimony, also refused to say whether he wants Ukraine to win the war against Russian aggression and said America “might as well” default on its debt obligation, despite the potentially devastating economic consequences.