Why I resigned my role at CNN — Jim Acosta

CNN anchor Jim Acosta, known for his contentious exchanges with former President Donald Trump during his tenure as the network’s White House correspondent, has chosen to leave CNN rather than accepting a reassignment to a late-night programme.

Acosta announced his decision on Tuesday after his morning broadcast, urging viewers: “Don’t give in to the lies. Don’t give in to the fear.” While he did not explicitly reference Trump, the implication was unmistakable. CNN asserted that its choice to reassign Acosta to a midnight time slot was unrelated to political considerations.

Shortly before Acosta’s statement, Trump reacted to speculation about the journalist’s departure, celebrating the news on social media. “Jim is a major loser who will fail no matter where he ends up,” the former president posted on Truth Social.

CNN had revealed the restructuring of its programming lineup last week, coinciding with Trump’s first week back in office. The changes included shifting Wolf Blitzer into Acosta’s 10 am Eastern slot, alongside Pamela Brown.

Acosta was offered a move to Los Angeles to host a midnight show, which would air at 9 p.m. Pacific time and be simulcast on CNN International. However, he declined the offer.

Reflecting on His Career

Acosta addressed speculation about whether covering Trump’s presidency was the pinnacle of his career, responding that his most significant moment was covering former President Barack Obama’s 2016 visit to Cuba. He recalled questioning Cuban leader Raul Castro about political prisoners.

“As the son of a Cuban refugee, I took home the lesson (that) it is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant,” Acosta remarked.

“I have always believed it’s the job of the press to hold power to account. I’ve always tried to do that at CNN and plan to go on doing it in the future.”

He concluded with a final message to his audience: “Don’t give in to the lies. Don’t give in to the fear. Hold on to the truth. And to hope.”

CNN acknowledged Acosta’s contributions in a statement: “Jim has had a long, distinguished, nearly 20-year career at CNN, with a track record of standing up to authority, for the First Amendment and our journalistic freedoms. We want to thank him for the dedication and commitment he’s brought to his reporting and wish him the very best in the future.”

Acosta and Trump frequently clashed during the former president’s first term, culminating in the White House temporarily revoking Acosta’s press credentials in 2018.

The move came after Acosta persisted in questioning Trump during a press conference, despite the president’s command: “That’s enough!” An aide attempted to take Acosta’s microphone, but he resisted.

(AP)