The never-ending saga of CNN’s Jim Acosta making a fool of himself in front of the Trump White House took another turn on Monday, as he hurled questions at President Trump following a White House event that allowed the President to respond by calling him “fake news.”
Once Trump finished announcing a probe being launched into China’s questionable trade practices, Acosta yelled: “Mr. President, can you explain why you did not condemn those hate groups by name over the weekend?”
Trump responded twice that “they have been condemned,” but Acosta continued pressing and gave Trump the opportunity for a mic drop by calling Acosta “fake news”:
ACOSTA: And why are we not having a press conference today? You said on Friday we’ll have a press conference.
TRUMP: We had a press conference. We just had a press conference.
ACOSTA: Can we ask you some more questions then, sir?
TRUMP: It doesn't bother mer at all, but I like real news, not fake news. You’re fake news. Thank you everyone.ACOSTA: With all due respect — Mr. President haven't you spread a lot of fake news yourself, sir?
Acosta tweeted afterward about that final jab he got in at the President like it was such a proud achievement. Gold star for you, buddy. Not all heroes wear capes. You can find all of Jim Acosta’s faceplants here because, surely, those would be worth an infinite number of gold stars.
Once again, Acosta’s egocentric and pompous behavior became the story. He can call out the President with charges of fake news and thoughtlessness, but Acosta best not go too far. After all, the President isn’t the person acting like someone trying to become a TV star and future liberal administrative or campaign operative.
CNN Newsroom afternoon host Brooke Baldwin then took back her newscast after the White House event, referencing Jim Acosta as the person “shouting the questions to the President why didn't you condemn the racist clashes in Charlottesville earlier.”
She then rolled her eyes in disugst while tossing to chief political analyst Gloria Borger: “He said they've been condemned, they've been condemned, and there was yelling — I think he was yelling back at Jim, you're fake news.”
Just as she did throughout the day, Borger continued her all-out war on Trump’s behavior:
I think is this is a President who we've seen over the last six months lacks a sense of history and a sense of the gravity of the job of the presidency and lacks a sense of understanding of the leadership that's needed from the bully pulpit at moments like we just saw over the weekend in Charlottesville. And at a time when he needs to start building credibility in the country, you saw our polls last week that said an overwhelming majority don’t believe things that are coming from the White House. Instead, he sort of squanders it and so I think that everybody's been grappling with what occurred on Saturday, and condemning Nazis and KKK members ought to be one of the easiest things that anyone can possibly do from the bully pulpit, yet it took a long time.
Monday's Jim Acosta chicaniery was enabled by advertisers such as Holiday Inn Express and Nutrisystem.
Here’s the relevant transcript from August 14's CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin:
CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin
August 14, 2017
3:08 p.m. EasternJIM ACOSTA: Mr. President, can you explain why you did not condemn those hate groups by name over the weekend?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They have been condemned. They have been condemned.
ACOSTA: And why are we not having a press conference today? You said on Friday we’ll have a press conference.
TRUMP: We had a press conference. We just had a press conference.
ACOSTA: Can we ask you some more questions then, sir?
TRUMP: It doesn't bother mer at all, but I like real news, not fake news. You’re fake news. Thank you everyone.
ACOSTA: With all due respect — Mr. President haven't you spread a lot of fake news yourself, sir?
BALDWIN: Alright. So let’s respond to all of that. Gloria Borger, first here. That was the voice, obviously, the voice of Jim Acosta, our senior White House correspondent, shouting the questions to the President why didn't you condemn the racist clashes in Charlottesville earlier. He said they've been condemned, they've been condemned, and there was yelling — I think he was yelling back at Jim, you're fake news. [BALDWIN ROLLS HER EYES]
GLORIA BORGER: Right.
BALDWIN: How do you respond?
BORGER: Well, look, I think the President didn't want to talk about it anymore, honestly.
BALDWIN: You think?
BORGER: I think — I think he believes he said what he finally needed to say 48 hours ago, and I think the questions ought to be asked about, quite frankly why he didn't say it 48 hours ago. And, you know, I think if you sort of want to take a step back here. I think is this is a President who we've seen over the last six months lacks a sense of history and a sense of the gravity of the job of the presidency and lacks a sense of understanding of the leadership that's needed from the bully pulpit at moments like we just saw over the weekend in Charlottesville. And at a time when he needs to start building credibility in the country, you saw our polls last week that said an overwhelming majority don’t believe things that are coming from the White House. Instead, he sort of squanders it and so I think that everybody's been grappling with what occurred on Saturday, and condemning Nazis and KKK members ought to be one of the easiest things that anyone can possibly do from the bully pulpit, yet it took a long time.
