One of the stars of the #resistance in the old media from President Donald TrumpHis first term may disappear at midnight as his second term has now officially begun.
Jim Acosta He became a household name as CNN's chief White House correspondent due to his antagonistic relationship with Trump and his press secretaries. After the 2020 election, Acosta's position at CNN was elevated to anchor level, first on weekends but eventually moving to weekday programming.
While CNN's previous leadership was celebrating the ongoing sparring matches between Acosta and the first Trump administration, the network's current leadership appears to be trying to tone down the drama.
The president of CNN has asked CNN star Jim Acosta to move to midnight, something critics say will diminish his on-air presence during Trump's second presidency. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)
It was first reported in the Status Bulletin last week that CNN CEO Mark Thompson had offered to move Acosta from his one-hour slot at 10 a.m. ET to a two-hour slot starting at midnight, a move that would “negate Acosta's… effective”. To Siberian TV news,” he described.
The report quickly sparked outrage among CNN's liberal fans, with many saying such a move meant the network was bowing to Trump.
Sources say Fox News Digital The gossip is legit, with one person insisting that Acosta was “sprayed with water” as a result.
“Acosta is a talented anchor who can handle any slot on the network,” a CNN staffer told Fox News Digital. “The midnight thing is shocking (but) it is what it is.”
While the chatter has been described as “gossip” in the halls of CNN, the employee is “confident” that the prospects of Acosta being moved to Midnight are real and suggested that this is Acosta's only path forward at the network.
“He could have a real place, but the option is not to give him a chance,” the employee added.
CNN will lay off 'hundreds' of employees in first days of Trump's second presidency: reports
Los Angeles Times Likewise stated And if Acosta refused to accept the midnight shift, “he could go off the grid,” according to people familiar with his thinking.
The Times also reported that working the midnight shift could move Acosta from CNN's D.C. headquarters to the network's Los Angeles bureau, though the move would not be a requirement because his family is rooted in Washington. The 12-2am ET timeslot will overlap with primetime programming on the West Coast, airing from 9-11pm PT.
CNN's Jim Acosta famously refused to give up the microphone while peppering President Donald Trump with questions during a 2018 news conference. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
Another CNN source told Fox News Digital that executives were “more than a little apoplectic” as news of Acosta's one-on-one conversation with Thompson was leaked, leaving the network fuming over the resulting online outrage.
A CNN spokesperson declined to comment.
Acosta first joined CNN in 2007, but his rise to stardom didn't happen until 10 years later when he was tapped by then-boss Jeff Zucker to be the network's resident correspondent in the White House briefing room. He quickly became known for asking questions of Trump's White House press secretaries and often sparring with the president himself, earning a reputation for bravado and receiving support from Trump after he called him “fake news.”
Famously, Acosta refused to give up the microphone at a 2018 press conference while clashing with Trump. The white house He tried to revoke Acosta's press pass After the dispute, however, his credentials were restored when CNN alleged that it violated the First and Fifth Amendment rights of Acosta and the network.
CNN's Jim Acosta became a fixture on the late-night circuit during Trump's first administration, a rarity for a White House correspondent in previous presidencies. (Randy Holmes via Getty Images)
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Acosta's adversarial relationship with the first Trump administration appeared to pay off, as he secured a book deal and became a frequent guest on liberal late-night shows, adding to the star power that landed him an anchor chair during Biden's presidency.
But with a different president at the helm, it remains to be seen whether Acosta's status as a resistance figure at CNN will continue into Trump's second administration or whether he will have to go elsewhere to resume his war of words with the president.
