Speaking to reporters Tuesday afternoon on the West Lawn of the White House, near to where the networks have their cameras setup for live shots, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway demolished CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta for being a “smartass most of the time.”
This came in response to when, instead of continuing to ask questions about the President’s primetime address, Acosta went personal and attacked Conway by chiding how Trump doesn’t have an “alternative facts problem like you do.”
The 57-second tussle began when Acosta asked: “Kellyanne, can — can you promise that the President will tell the truth? Will he tell the truth?” Conway replied that he will and followed up by turning it around on Acosta, wondering if he too can “promise” to be truthful with his words.
Acosta stated he would, but Conway wanted to hear it again and, instead of moving on or doubling down, the CNN carnival barker went personal:
CONWAY: The whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Am I allowed to mention God to you?
ACOSTA: I’m not the one who has the alternative facts problem like you do, Kellyanne.
CONWAY: No, well, you know — Jim, I know that’s a cheap —
ACOSTA: Will the President — will the President —
CONWAY: — make sure that goes viral.
ACOSTA: Okay.
The two continued to engage in cross-talk with Conway pointing out the fact that she’s one of the few White House officials who will speak to him: “By the way, this is why — by the way, this is why I’m one of the only people around here who gives you the time of day.”
Meanwhile, Acosta did his own thing: “Can you guarantee that — that the President’s speech will pass with fact-checkers? Can you — can you guarantee that the President’s speech will?”
Out of nowhere, Conway then lowered the boom. Here are her full comments:
And let me just — let me get back in your face cause you’re such a smartass most of the time and I know you want this to go viral. A lot of these people don’t like you. But just let me be respectful to the media writ large, as I always am. I explained that that was alternative information and additional facts and I explained it many times and don’t you put it back in my face for all the corrections that your network needs to issue. I was on your network 25 or 26 times in 2018 and I’m one of the last people here who even bother to go on and the disrespect that you showed to me personally, I’ll just let pass.
Acosta tried to cover himself by referring to Conway as “ma’am” and twice stating that he was only “asking” whether or not Trump will “be telling the truth tonight.”
“No, don’t call me ma’am to make it up,” Conway argued.
Having had enough, Conway decided Acosta was done, calling on NPR’s Mara Liasson to continue the questioning.
Appearing later on The Situation Room, Acosta sought to change the narrative that he was dunked on by opining: “Pressed on whether the President will tell the truth in his address, Conway sounded defensive.”
(Video of the exchange was first flagged down by our friend Ryan Saavedra at The Daily Wire)
To see the full transcript of the Acosta-Conway exchange on the West Lawn of the White House on January 8, 2019, click “expand.”
West Lawn of the White House
January 8, 2019JIM ACOSTA: Kellyanne, can — can you promise that the President will tell the truth? Will he tell the truth?
KELLYANNE CONWAY: Yes, Jim, and can you promise that you will?
ACOSTA: I will
CONWAY: The whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Am I allowed to mention God to you?
ACOSTA: I’m not the one who has the alternative facts problem like you do, Kellyanne.
CONWAY: No, well, you know — Jim, I know that’s a cheap —
ACOSTA: Will the President — will the President —
CONWAY: — make sure that goes viral.
ACOSTA: Okay.
CONWAY: By the way, this is why —
ACOSTA: Can you guarantee that —
CONWAY: — by the way, this is why I’m one of the only people —
ACOSTA: That the President’s speech will pass with fact-checkers?
CONWAY: — around here who gives you the time of day.
ACOSTA: Can you — can you guarantee that the President’s speech will?
CONWAY: And let me just — let me get back in your face cause you’re such a smartass most of the time and I know you want this to go viral. A lot of these people don’t like you. But just let me be respectful to the media writ large, as I always am. I explained that that was alternative information and additional facts and I explained it many times and don’t you put it back in my face for all the corrections that your network needs to issue. I was on your network 25 or 26 times in 2018 and I’m one of the last people here who even bother to go on and the disrespect that you showed to me personally, I’ll just let pass.
ACOSTA: Ma’am I’m just asking. Will the President be telling the truth tonight.
CONWAY: No, don’t call me ma’am to make it up.
ACOSTA: I just asked. Will the President tell the truth tonight?
CONWAY: That’s why — go ahead. Please, Mara.
MARA LIASSON: You said he’s meeting with lawmakers tonight, Democrats and Republicans. Who’s he meeting with?
