I’ll admit to anyone in the world that the exchange between Donald Trump and a notable CNN journalist, Jim Acosta, was difficult to watch.
The president called on Acosta to ask him a question during a White House post-midterm election press conference. Acosta posed the question and then Trump went off.
Acosta’s question dealt with the refugee “caravan.” Trump didn’t like the tone of the question and then he blasted Acosta for being a “rude, terrible person.” He said CNN “should be ashamed” for employing Acosta.
Then, later in the day, the White House revoked Acosta’s press credentials, denying him access to sources within the White House and the West Wing.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a Twitter message that said: President Trump believes in a free press and expects and welcomes tough questions of him and his Administration. We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern…
So, that was the pretext for the White House pulling a CNN reporter’s credentials.
Nonsense. It’s shameful nonsense at that.
This was the most astonishing exchange between the president and the WH press correspondents. A real assault on the First Amendment. I thought at one point POTUS might come off the podium at Acosta. The intern was not assaulted by either. A real low point POTUS.