Tag: Jim Acosta

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Fact-Check: Trump Says U.S. Has ‘Best’ COVID-19 Testing System (Nope)

L-R CNN’s Jim Acosta, Donald Trump
From NowThis News:

During a White House press briefing, Donald Trump said the U.S. doesn’t need nationwide testing before sending people back to work. Watch CNN’s Jim Acosta challenge President Trump on his COVID-19 testing claim.

The U.S. does not have the ‘best’ testing system. As of April 1, dozens of countries have far higher testing rates including Germany, Italy, Norway, S. Korea, Canada, Australia, & Estonia.

The White House had promised to conduct 27 million tests by the end of March. As of April 9, Trump himself told the press only 2 million tests had been administered. Based on those 2 million tests, the U.S. is testing approximately 6 people per thousand. Countries like South Korea and Germany are triple that rate. In the same exchange between Acosta and Trump, the Donald told the CNN journalist, “You shouldn’t be asking that kind of a question … it is very insulting to a lot of great people.” Journalists ask questions. It’s literally their job. People who are on point don’t get defensive when asked questions. They have answers.

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Trump Defensive When Questioned About Reality Of “National Emergency”

Reporters noted before Donald Trump’s press conference yesterday in the White House Rose Garden that no teleprompters were set up, a sign that Trump might be a bit freewheeling at the event.

Other than a few cards with notes, Trump announced he was declaring a ‘national emergency’ over border security, and then took questions from reporters.

CNN’s Jim Acosta tried to ask about the ‘disconnect’ between Trump’s proclamations of ’emergency’ versus data coming from the federal government that border crossings have been declining for years and presently at near record lows.

“I wonder if you could comment on this disconnect that we seem to have in this country where you are presenting information about what’s happening at the border,” Acosta said, “calling it an invasion, talking about women with duct tape over their mouths and so on, yet there is a lot of reporting out there, a lot of crime data out there, there is a lot of Department of Homeland Security data out there, that shows border crossings at a near record low.”

And Acosta is correct. Check out these stats from Trump’s own Customs and Border Protection:

Acosta also noted government data that shows “undocumented immigrants committing crimes at lower levels than native-born Americans.”

But the Trumpster became very defensive saying he uses “a lot of stats” to come up with his position, and soon segued into a classic episode of Trumpism attacking Acosta.

Trump: “You don’t really believe that, do you? Do you really believe that? Look at our federal prisons.”

Acosta: “I believe in facts and statistics. What do you say to your critics who say that you are creating a national emergency? That you are concocting a national emergency here to get your wall?”

Trump: “What do you think? Do you think I am creating something? Your question is a very political question because you have an agenda. You are CNN, fake news. You have an agenda.”

“The numbers that you gave are wrong,” Trump added. “Take a look at our federal prison population. See how many of them percentage-wise are illegal aliens. Just see. Go ahead and see. It’s a fake question.”

This was something. The video below is cued up to Acosta’s question, but you can watch the full on press event as well.

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White House Backs Down – Permanently Returns Jim Acosta’s White House Access

Jim Acosta (L) and Donald Trump (R)

The White House is backing down on its threat to permanently revoke the press pass of CNN’s Jim Acosta.

According a letter sent from the White House, Acosta will be granted his ‘hard pass’ again but there will be new rules that will affect not only him but all reporters in the White House press pool.

The primary ‘new rule’ will be one question per reporter at White House press briefings. The president, or any other official speaking from the podium, may grant a follow-up question but it will be at their discretion.

Watch the report below from CNN.

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White House Plans To Revoke CNN Reporter’s Press Access – Again

Jim Acosta of CNN

On Friday, a federal judge ordered the return of CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass to the White House.

Now, the White House is asking CNN to make the case for Acosta’s continued access. Based on the response they receive, the White House may attempt to revoke his press pass yet again.

According to Axios, CNN says, “The White House is continuing to violate the First and Fifth amendments of the Constitution. These actions threaten all journalists and news organizations. Jim Acosta and CNN will continue to report the news about the White House and the President.”

But Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Fox News over the weekend, “If certain reporters like Jim Acosta can’t be adults, then CNN needs to send somebody in there who can be.”

Speaking to Fox News’ Chris Wallace on Sunday, Donald Trump said: “If he misbehaves, we’ll throw him out or we’ll stop the news conference.”

CNN is reportedly heading back to court to stop the hi-jinks.

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Judge Orders Trump To Restore Press Pass To CNN’s Jim Acosta

CNN reporter Jim Acosta

CNN and Jim Acosta won in court today in their lawsuit to restore Acosta’s suspended press access to the White House as a Trump appointed judge ordered the return of his ‘hard pass.’

From CNBC:

A federal judge on Friday granted CNN’s request for a court order that would temporarily reinstate network correspondent Jim Acosta’s White House press pass, which had been suspended indefinitely in the wake of a fiery exchange between the reporter and President Donald Trump a week earlier.

The ruling from Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed by Trump, gave CNN a victory in the ongoing case.

“I want to thank all of my colleagues in the press who supported us this week, and I want to thank the judge for the decision he made today,” Acosta said outside U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

“Let’s go back to work!” he added.

CNN’s lawsuit, announced Tuesday, argues that Acosta’s constitutional rights had been violated by Trump and five other members of his administration, as well as by the U.S. Secret Service. The other defendants include chief of staff John Kelly, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, deputy chief of staff Bill Shine and Secret Service Director Randolph Alles.

In a statement, CNN and Acosta said they “look forward to a full resolution in the coming days.”

In his decision, Kelly ruled that Acosta’s First Amendment rights overruled the White House’s right to have orderly news conferences.

Over several days, the White House has changed its reasoning for suspending Acosta.

At first, Sarah Huckabee Sanders attempted to say Acosta had physically attacked a White House intern when she reached to take a microphone out of Acosta’s hand as he was asking Donald Trump a question.

Then, the reasoning moved to Acosta being ‘rude.’

Donald Trump and his staff have targeted Acosta since the beginning of the Trump administration for asking actual questions and holding them to answers.

The day a nation’s leader shuts down a free press is a dark day for any country.

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CNN Sues Trump White House For Restoration Of Jim Acosta’s Press Credentials

In the aftermath of the White House revoking CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta’s press credentials, CNN has filed a lawsuit against President Trump and several of his aides, seeking the immediate restoration of Acosta’s access to the White House.

The lawsuit is a response to the White House’s suspension of Acosta’s press pass, known as a Secret Service “hard pass,” last week. The suit alleges that Acosta and CNN’s First and Fifth Amendment rights are being violated by the ban.

The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday morning. It was docketed and assigned to Judge Timothy J. Kelly, a Trump appointee. CNN is seeking a preliminary hearing as soon as possible.

Both CNN and Acosta are plaintiffs in the lawsuit. There are six defendants: Trump, chief of staff John Kelly, press secretary Sarah Sanders, deputy chief of staff for communications Bill Shine, Secret Service director Randolph Alles, and the Secret Service officer who took Acosta’s hard pass away last Wednesday.

“CNN filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration this morning in DC District Court,” the statement read. “It demands the return of the White House credentials of CNN’s Chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acosta’s First Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their Fifth Amendment rights to due process. We have asked this court for an immediate restraining order requiring the pass be returned to Jim, and will seek permanent relief as part of this process.”

The White House Correspondents’ Association said it “strongly supports CNN’s goal of seeing their correspondent regain a US Secret Service security credential that the White House should not have taken away in the first place.”

The White House has shifted its explanation for barring Acosta.

Initially, the reason for suspension was “placing his hands” on an intern (he didn’t), but now the issue supposedly is that he kept asking questions.

So, if they think he monopolizes a press conference, why call on him?

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Fireworks At Trump Press Conference – “You Are A Rude, Terrible Person”

Whoa!

There were serious fireworks today at the White House as Donald Trump lit into CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta who attempted to ask the Trumpster about his characterization of the migrants making their way from Central America to the U.S. border.

“That’s enough. That’s enough. Put down the mic.

“I’ll tell you what. CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN. You’re a very rude person.

“The way you treat Sarah Huckabee is horrible. And the way you treat other people are horrible. You shouldn’t treat people that way.”

Gee, do you think Trump is a little edgy after the takeover of the House by the Democrats?

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Trump Followers Troll CNN’s Jim Acosta At Trump Rally

God bless poor Jim Acosta.

Trying to do his job last night at a Trump rally, the Donald’s followers stood behind the CNN journalist chanting “CNN sucks!” and giving rude gestures.

Childish and idiotic.

And one of these Trumper fools is going to hurt a journalist soon, mark my words.

Acosta, who is an absolute pro by the way, responded to the attacks via Twitter writing, “Just a sample of the sad scene we faced at the Trump rally in Tampa. I’m very worried that the hostility whipped up by Trump and some in conservative media will result in somebody getting hurt. We should not treat our fellow Americans this way. The press is not the enemy.”

Mind you, these are the same people who cheered when Donald Trump erroneously told the crowd you have to have an ID to buy groceries (you don’t) in an attempt to justify voter ID laws that target minorities disproportionately.

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CNN’s Jim Acosta: White House Spokesman Sean Spicer Is “Kind Of Useless”

CNN’s Jim Acosta is pretty much DONE with the lack of communication coming out of the White House these days.

Today saw the White House daily press briefing devolve into an off-the-air, no cameras, no audio recording “gaggle” where Spicer basically offered no answers to questions asked by the White House press corp.

“The White House press secretary is getting to a point, Brooke, where he’s just kind of useless,” Acosta told CNN’s Brooke Baldwin. “You know, if he can’t come out and answer the questions and they’re not going to do this on camera or audio…why are we having these briefings or gaggles in the first place?”

According to Politico, Spicer is pushing to move into a new position that would oversee communications for the entire White House, advocating for a new press secretary to take his place. Fox News personality Laura Ingraham has apparently met with the powers that be in the Trump administration about the position.

The president hasn’t held a true press conference since February.

Watch Acosta’s justified frustrations below.