CNN anchor Jim Acosta, widely known for his confrontational exchanges with officials from the Trump administration during White House briefings, has announced his departure from the network after nearly two decades, The New York Times reported.
President Donald Trump reacted to the news on Truth Social, calling Acosta “one of the worst and most dishonest reporters in journalistic history” and expressing satisfaction over his exit.
“Wow, really good news! Jim Acosta, one of the worst and most dishonest reporters in journalistic history, a major sleazebag, has been relegated by CNN Fake News to the Midnight hour, ‘Death Valley,’ because of extraordinarily bad ratings (and no talent!). Word is that he wants to quit, and that would be even better. Jim is a major loser who will fail no matter where he ends up. Good luck Jim,” Trump wrote.
Acosta revealed his decision at the conclusion of his 10 a.m. program, which marked his final appearance on CNN. His departure follows a dispute with the network regarding the decision to move his show to the midnight time slot, which is often referred to as a “cable news backwater,” according to sources familiar with the matter, The New York Times reported.
Veteran CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer will take over the 10 a.m. slot, co-anchoring with Pamela Brown. While Acosta’s program ranked third in its time slot in terms of total viewers—behind MSNBC and Fox News—it consistently outperformed MSNBC in the key advertiser demographic.
In a statement, CNN acknowledged Acosta’s significant contributions over nearly 20 years. “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 for our journalistic freedoms,” the network said, according to The New York Times.
