Entertainment
REPORT: Jim Acosta Out At CNN After Humiliating Demotion To Graveyard Shift
Ladies and gentlemen, Jim Acosta has reportedly left the building.
The notorious anti-Trump reporter, whose political leanings saw him sidelined by network executives fearful of reprisal by the new president, was recently pulled from his 10 a.m. time slot and relegated to overnight programming. His banishment to the “Siberia of cable news” left Acosta “struggling with the choice” about whether to leave his home of 17 years, insiders say.
“It takes courage,” a CNN insider told the Status newsletter about Acosta’s decision to leave.
Another source told reporter Olivia Darcy that they were “dismayed” at the way CNN unceremoniously ended Acosta’s “Newsroom” show, which he had hosted since 2023.
“Many viewers like Jim… if there is anyone who could make the overnight go, it’s him,” said another insider, adding, “It’s sad to see him go.”
Previously, sources predicted that Acosta’s “only path forward” at the network would be to stick it out at the midnight-to-2 a.m. time slot for the foreseeable future. Doing so would have required him to relocate to Los Angeles for most shoots, forcing him from the east coast he’s called home for years.
During the first Trump administration, CNN positioned itself as a bulwark for left-wing journalism, and Acosta carried the mantle into White House briefings where he frequently sparred with spokespersons or President Donald Trump directly.
The live TV clashes between Acosta and Trump are legendary moments that highlight the 47th president’s disdain for the mainstream media. During one heated press briefing in 2017, Trump said CNN should be “ashamed” for hiring Acosta.
The journalist then fired back at him, “Mr. President, I think our record on delivering the truth is a lot better than yours sometimes.”
“Let me tell you about your record, your record is so bad you ought to be ashamed of yourself,” Trump shot back. “You have the worst record in the history of broadcasting.”
Acosta was the victim of a serious shake-up by CEO Mark Thompson, who took over from Jeff Zucker, the network head who set CNN’s antagonistic tone from 2017 to 2021. Instead, Thompson has introduced a number of pro-Trump voices like Scott Jennings or Harry Enten, the energetic pollster who doesn’t sugarcoat Trump’s popularity for liberal viewers.
Thompson was reportedly “apoplectic” when details leaked about a private call earlier this month that he held with senior on-air talents like Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper. On it, the CEO is said to have warned his stable of anchors about the dangers of “pre-judging” President Trump based on his past words, actions, or criminal and civil trials.
Thompson is believed to be among a long list of network executives worried about how CNN’s relationship could be maintained with the White House if Acosta had kept his 10 a.m. time slot.
Where Acosta heads next is unknown, but if history is a guide, he may parlay his anti-Trump credentials into an independent show or lucrative book deal. He achieved the latter after famously refusing to give up the microphone during a 2018 press conference, leading the White House to revoke his press pass before CNN successfully sued to get it back.
His habit of grandstanding has not abated with Trump’s return. In one of his final 10 a.m. broadcasts, Acosta told his viewers that the mainstream media is not “the enemy of the people,” a veiled reference to President Trump.