Jim Acosta, Reporter and Anchor Despised by Trump, Was Pushed Out of CNN

Jim Acosta, signing off from CNN for the final time:

It is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant. I believe it is the job of the press to hold power to account — I’ve always tried to do that here at CNN, and I plan on doing all of that again in the future.

One final message: Don’t give in to the lies. Don’t give in to the fear. Hold on to the truth, and hope.

President Trump, gloating on his very popular social network, Truth Social (current ranking in the App Store: not in the top 200 free downloads, #20 in Social Networking):

Wow, really good news! Jim Acosta, one of the worst and most dishonest reporters in journalistic history, a major sleazebag, has been relegated by CNN Fake News to the Midnight hour, “Death Valley,” because of extraordinarily BAD RATINGS (and no talent!). Word is that he wants to QUIT, and that would be even better. Jim is a major loser who will fail no matter where he ends up. Good luck Jim!

Here’s a recent example of Acosta’s exemplary work on CNN, interviewing Representative Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee:

ACOSTA: Do you agree with Trump’s decision to pardon violent people?

REP. BURCHETT: If they were truly violent, no. But I don’t know that?

ACOSTA: What do you mean you don’t know? We’re showing the footage right now.

Oliver Darcy, the former CNN media reporter now working under his own umbrella at Status, has been all over the abject cowardice of CNN’s current chief executive, Mark Thompson:

The anchor, I’m told, signaled to associates in private conversations over the weekend that he intends to depart the network after its chief executive, Mark Thompson, booted him from the morning programming lineup — a move that conspicuously coincided with Donald Trump’s return to power.

CNN brass, as we first reported earlier this month, decided to strip Acosta of his 10am show, which he has anchored to great ratings success over the last 11 months, at times even seeing higher viewership than programs in the channel’s prime time bloc.

Acosta was instead offered the less-than-desirable option of anchoring a show from midnight until 2am ET.

CNN pitched the gig to Acosta as anchoring during prime time on the West Coast and said he could move to Los Angeles to host the program. But the reality is the program would have aired at a time in which cable news viewership is at its lowest levels.

Acosta’s morning ratings were high, not low. There’s no explanation for CNN forcing him to midnight other than appeasement of a president who spends his days obsessing over cable news.

★ Tuesday, 28 January 2025