Thursday’s opening of the Obama Presidential Center brought back all of the gushing media coverage that defined his presidency and not just from current media personalities. Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta had a busy day with former colleague John Harwood and former NBC and CBS anchor Katie Couric as they seemed to compete with each other over who could be the most effusive in their praise for Barack and Michelle Obama. Acosta would certainly be the winner, as he told Harwood they would have to “pinch” themselves for being able to cover him.
During his livestream of the event, Acosta led Couric with more of a statement than a question, “I was just talking with Norm Eisen because he was live outside the Obama Presidential Center and I'm just curious what your thoughts are, Katie, just seeing this come to fruition. It's going to be such a major institution in the city of Chicago, where Barack Obama, you know, became a local politician and then a senator from Illinois before becoming president. I mean, what a remarkable story that this is.”
It was a busy day of Obama gushing for for media personalities. Jim Acosta says on his livestream, "I mean, what a remarkable story that this is." Former CBS/NBC anchor Katie Couric agrees "Yeah. You know, I mean, it's a sort of painful reminder of what this country was like back… pic.twitter.com/qWZ87oAhPT
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) June 19, 2026
Couric agreed, “Yeah. You know, I mean, it's a sort of painful reminder of what this country was like back in the day when decency prevailed and there was a certain level of decorum and respect for other presidents, whether they were Republican or Democratic. And it just, I don't know about you, Jim, but watching it, and I've only seen clips so far, and I can't wait to see more. It just reminds you of, to quote George Herbert Walker Bush, of a kinder and gentler time in our culture.”
Moving on to the other Obama, Couric continued, “and to see Michelle Obama so lovingly talk about her husband and his accomplishments, to, as I said, see all these presidents gather together. It just it makes you really wish for and recognize that we are better than what this country has become under President Donald Trump.”
Couric wants to contrast the idea of all former presidents coming together in a respectful way with Trump, but praises Michelle despite her skipping former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral. She also conveniently ignores some of Barack’s more divisive moments, such as Americans bitterly clinging to their guns and religion or his vice president and future President Joe Biden’s remarks that Mitt Romney was going to put black people back in chains.
Later in the day, Acosta sat down with Harwood and kept the praise coming, “I mean, this is, you know, Barack Obama, you know, John, and maybe you and I will have to pinch ourselves and say we got to cover this when it happened. But this, you know, he was our generation's JFK, and, you know, he is going to go down in history, I think, as one of our greatest presidents.”
So much for journalists speaking truth to power.
Later, during another recording, Acosta tells former CNN colleague John Harwood, "maybe you and I will have to pinch ourselves and say we got to cover this when it happened. But this, you know, he was our generation's JFK, and, you know, he is going to go down in history I think… pic.twitter.com/gLndqFbPaP
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) June 19, 2026
Acosta also hyped Michelle’s speech, “I watched Michelle Obama's speech earlier in the day, and I thought Michelle Obama hit it out of the park and was talking about Barack Obama's biography in a way that I thought was so perfect for this moment because it reminded everybody of these humble beginnings that Barack Obama had, you know, coming up in this world and rising to the top.”
As for his presidency, Acosta kept trying to claim it was great, “You're going Ivy League, becoming a state senator, then a U.S. senator, the president of the United States, two-term president comes in the middle of a financial crisis, you know, executes the order to take out Osama bin Laden. It's such a historic presidency. And for the Obamas to have pulled this off with such class, it’s—I can't think of a more striking contrast.”
Harwood joined the Michelle Fan Club as he also attacked Trump for not being a fan of DEI, “I did notice Michelle, without mentioning Donald Trump's name, lit into the racism, the questioning of Barack Obama's nationality and birthplace—the hostile and negative tone of the administration, the opposition to equity and inclusion and diversity. It was just a complete night and day contrast.”
Acosta, Harwood, and Couric all view themselves as the kind of former journalists who think their job is to speak truth to power. They claim this is why they are so concerned about CBS under Bari Weiss’s management, and yet, when it comes to the Obamas, all they can do is sit back and gawk.
Here is a transcript for the June 18 shows:
The Jim Acosta Show
6/18/2026
JIM ACOSTA: I was just talking with Norm Eisen because he was live outside the Obama Presidential Center and I'm just curious what your thoughts are, Katie, just seeing this come to fruition. It's going to be such a major institution in the city of Chicago, where Barack Obama, you know, became a local politician and then a senator from Illinois before becoming president. I mean, what a remarkable story that this is.
KATIE COURIC: Yeah. You know, I mean, it's a sort of painful reminder of what this country was like back in the day when decency prevailed and there was a certain level of decorum and respect—
ACOSTA: Yeah.
COURIC: —for other presidents, whether they were Republican or Democratic. And it just, I don't know about you, Jim, but watching it, and I've only seen clips so far, and I can't wait to see more. It just reminds you of, to quote George Herbert Walker Bush, of a kinder and gentler time—
ACOSTA: Yes.
COURIC: —in our culture and to see Michelle Obama so lovingly talk about her husband and his accomplishments, to, as I said, see all these presidents gather together. It just it makes you really wish for—
ACOSTA: Yeah.
COURIC: and recognize that we are better than what this country has become under President Donald Trump.
***
ACOSTA: I mean, this is, you know, Barack Obama, you know, John, and maybe you and I will have to pinch ourselves and say we got to cover this when it happened. But this, you know, he was our generation's JFK, and, you know, he is going to go down in history, I think, as one of our greatest presidents.
And I watched Michelle Obama's speech earlier in the day, and I thought Michelle Obama hit it out of the park and was talking about Barack Obama's biography in a way that I thought was so perfect for this moment because it reminded everybody of these humble beginnings that Barack Obama had, you know, coming up in this world and rising to the top. You're going Ivy League, becoming a state senator then a U.S. senator, the president of the United States, two-term president comes in the middle of a financial crisis, you know, executes the order to take out Osama bin Laden.
It's such a historic presidency. And for the Obamas to have pulled this off with such class, it’s—I can't think of a more striking contrast.
JOHN HARWOOD: I did notice Michelle, without mentioning Donald Trump's name—
ACOSTA: Yeah.
HARWOOD: Lit into the racism, the questioning of Barack Obama's nationality and birthplace—the hostile and negative tone of the administration, the opposition to equity and inclusion and diversity. It was just a complete night and day contrast.
