And he’s out!
CNN’s reporter, Jim Acosta, refused to give up a microphone and pushed a White House aide’s arm when she tried to take it earlier today. Trump then berated Acosta and it looked like he might take the mic from him personally.
Now he’s banned from the White House.
Bye bye, Jim!
NBC is reporting:
President Donald Trump’s ongoing feud with Jim Acosta, CNN’s chief White House correspondent, boiled over on Wednesday, with Trump verbally berating the journalist before the White House ultimately suspended his press access.
Acosta tweeted Wednesday night that he was denied access when he tried to enter the White House.
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders later issued a statement that said the reporter’s “hard pass” was suspended as a result of his attempt to keep control of a microphone during Wednesday’s news conference with the president.
President Trump believes in a free press and expects and welcomes tough questions of him and his Administration. We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern…
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) November 8, 2018
She called Acosta’s behavior “absolutely unacceptable.”
“It is also completely disrespectful to the reporter’s colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question,” Sanders stated.
I’ve just been denied entrance to the WH. Secret Service just informed me I cannot enter the WH grounds for my 8pm hit
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 8, 2018
Remember this Karate Chops! pic.twitter.com/OpbI8uRpOt
— Anon Heel (@AnonHeel) November 8, 2018
Earlier in the day Trump called Acosta “a rude, terrible person” as he tried to ask the president a question.
The exchange came during a White House press conference on the 2018 midterm elections, in which Trump called out failed Republican candidates who didn’t “embrace” him.
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Trump began taking questions and called on Acosta, who tried to ask about the president’s characterization of a migrant caravan of roughly 4,000 Central American immigrants who are walking through Mexico to claim asylum in the U.S.
Trump immediately interrupted Acosta as the journalist began to ask his question. “Here we go,” Trump said to Acosta.
Acosta then challenged Trump’s use of the word “invasion” to describe the caravan and asked the president if he thought he had demonized immigrants. Trump then said he wanted immigrants to “come in legally.”
When the president tried to go to another journalist, Acosta declined to give up the microphone and asked about possible indictments by special counsel Robert Mueller based on the ongoing investigation into Trump’s presidential campaign.
Trump told Acosta to “put down the mic” and a White House staffer tried to take the microphone from the CNN correspondent but he wouldn’t give it up.
Acosta finally relinquished the mic and sat down, but Trump then began to verbally berate him from the lectern.
“CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them,” Trump said. “You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN.”
Trump added that the way Acosta had treated Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was “awful.”
The president then moved to address the next questioner, NBC News White House correspondent Peter Alexander, who defended Acosta.
“In Jim’s defense, I’ve traveled with him and watched him, he’s a diligent reporter who busts his butt like the rest of us,” Alexander said.
“Well I’m not a big fan of yours either,” Trump said.
Acosta then stood up and began speaking to the president off microphone, to which the president responded, “When you report fake news, which CNN does a lot, you are the enemy of the people.””
Here’s the Secret Service asking Acosta for his credentials.
The US Secret Service just asked for my credential to enter the WH. As I told the officer, I don’t blame him. I know he’s just doing his job. (Sorry this video is not rightside up) pic.twitter.com/juQeuj3B9R
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 8, 2018
Here’s the video of the earlier altercation.
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