CNN is apparently plotting to exile star anchor Jim Acosta — a longtime antagonist of President-elect Donald Trump — to the “Siberia of television news” in a bid to “throw a bone” to the incoming commander-in-chief, according to a former colleague.
The network’s boss, Mark Thompson, this week called in Acosta to propose shifting his show, “CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta,” from 10 a.m. to the graveyard midnight slot, ex-CNN senior media reporter Oliver Darcy reported in his Status News newsletter.
“The move would effectively exile Acosta to the Siberia of television news,” Darcy wrote.
Acosta was caught “off guard,” Darcy said — with the anchor later using his air time for some self-promotion to send a message to Trump to go easier on journalists.
“He had no reason to believe that his current show would be on the chopping block. In fact, his ratings have historically been some of the network’s strongest,” Darcy pointed out.
Acosta was told his possible move was to accommodate moving veteran anchor Wolf Blitzer from primetime evenings to a morning show — and nothing to do with his ratings or editorial style, Darcy said.
However, sources pinned the move on preparations for Trump’s return to office given Acosta’s infamously testy relationship with the president-elect — who famously branded the anchor “a rude, terrible person.”
“They want to get rid of Acosta to throw a bone to Trump,” an unnamed media executive told the newsletter.
“Midnight is not a serious offer when his ratings are among the best on the network.”
Acosta was a CNN White House correspondent during the first Trump administration and has numerous confrontations, leading to him losing his press pass after one petty exchange with the then-president at a 2018 press conference.
“CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them,” Trump told Acosta at the time.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Acosta was considering the midnight show offer.
The news emerged, though, as Acosta used his Thursday show to throw shade at Trump and crow about the importance of the media — just days out from the inauguration.
“I want to take a moment to talk about something President Biden said during his farewell address,” Acosta ranted as he kicked off a nearly minute-long speech.
“He warned the free press is crumbling in this country. I would add, that’s only if we, the people, let that happen,” he continued. “Journalists exist to seek the truth, to tell people’s stories, to lift up voices that may not be heard otherwise, to shine a light on injustice and to hold the powerful accountable.”
“We are not the enemy of the people. We are the defenders of the people. Walter Cronkite once said, ‘freedom of the press is not just important to democracy. It is democracy’,” Acosta added.
