CNN’s Jim Acosta has once again found himself on the receiving end of a negative backlash from conservatives.
The Chief White Hosue Correspondent got involved in a verbal tiff with President Donald Trump at a press conference on Wednesday, that ended with a microphone tug of war, and a tongue lashing from Trump.
“CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them,” Trump said.
“You’re a very rude person. The way you treat Sarah Huckabee (Sanders) is horrible. You shouldn’t treat people that way.”
“I think you should let me run the country, you run CNN,” Trump added.
NBC News reporter Peter Alexander later defended Acosta’s character to President Trump before asking his question.
Yahoo tweeted a video of the exchange between Trump and Acosta:
“Put down the mic…”
“You are a rude, terrible person…”
FULL EXCHANGE: Trump vs. @Acosta
"Put down the mic…"
"You are a rude, terrible person…" pic.twitter.com/hdnNGd2xLc— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) November 7, 2018
This video, from another angle, shows what many were concerned was a too harsh reaction from Acosta when what is presumably a White House aide attempted to follow the Commander-in-Chief’s orders, and take a microphone away from the CNN correspondent.
BREAKING: White House aide grabs and tries to physically remove a microphone from CNN Correspondent Jim Acosta during a contentious exchange with President Trump at a news conference. pic.twitter.com/fFm7wclFw2
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 7, 2018
Prior to the president’s decision that Acosta’s time with the microphone was over, the CNN reporter asked the president about his comments on the migrant caravan.
“It was not an invasion,” Acosta said, asking, “Why did you characterize it as such?”
“Because I consider it an invasion,” Trump replied.
The reporter pressed harder and asked Trump whether Trump thought that he’d “demonized immigrants” during the election, and cited a controversial ad that many news organizations either removed from the airways or never aired at all.
The president addressed the issue by standing by the accuracy of that ad, saying that they individuals show “weren’t actors” and that the actions shown were true events.
“They didn’t come from Hollywood,” Trump said, cutting off Acosta when he tried to follow up.
In the same news conference, a reporter brought up Trump calling himself a “nationalist” saying that some think it emboldens white nationals.
Trump called the reporter out, saying that there are “nationalists and globalists” and said that he is a nationalist because he loves the country and wants to “straighten it out first” before helping the rest of the world.
The president then told the reporter that it was a “racist” thing to ask.
President Trump to @Yamiche: "That's a racist question." pic.twitter.com/RlCZLkI3z8
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) November 7, 2018