Is he still president? CNN’s Jim Acosta BOOED after following Trump to Texas to ask about January 6
CNN’s former White House correspondent and anti-Trump resistance hero Jim Acosta took a break from his anchor duties to follow the ex-president to the US-Mexico border in a bid to trigger a testy exchange, but the stunt backfired.
Donald Trump visited the Rio Grande valley on Wednesday, at the invitation of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, touring the border wall he began building while in office – but which was halted by President Joe Biden immediately upon inauguration.
After Trump gave a speech, at one point, Acosta shouted a question from the press area, asking Trump if he intended to apologize for the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. “Crowd of mostly GOP members and staff booed,” the CNN anchor later tweeted.
CNN's Jim Acosta asks Trump if he will apologize for the Jan 6 Capitol riot. The question is met with boos from the audience. pic.twitter.com/34afF5jhGB
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 30, 2021
The moment was a throwback to the Trump presidency, when Acosta made a habit of grandstanding at White House briefings and press conferences, then claimed he was being victimized by Trump and getting death threats from his supporters. He spun it all into a book about heroically defending journalism and democracy – that hasn’t sold very well – and getting a promotion to a news desk job.
So why was he even in Texas, the Twittersphere wondered as Acosta’s name trended on both sides of the political aisle. Was Trump still president? Or did he miss Trump that much?
This is hilarious. That weaselly dipshit Acosta is telling people on his TL that he "asked" the question when it's clear that he did his trademark stunt of shouting an accusatory, heckling troll from the peanut gallery.Face it, Jim, he's just not that into you. https://t.co/cQqZXf1OYs
— Cruadin (@cruadin) June 30, 2021
Trump is at the border and Jim Acosta is getting booed while asking him questions. What year is it? https://t.co/h6X3HJKB1Z
— Jason Russell (@JRussellMI) June 30, 2021
Why was Acosta even AT the border? It's not like Trump is still POTUS. Or is he? pic.twitter.com/75rs7hdV9m
— Plain Jane🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸Hold the Line (@plainjane5555) June 30, 2021
He misses Trump so much lol https://t.co/7m4W8TjYdd
— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) June 30, 2021
Others pointed out that Acosta’s ratings were so bad, CNN must have sent him back on the road to “harass” Trump. It was just like old times – except CNN had far fewer viewers now.
.@Acosta ‘s show is rating so poorly CNN sent him back on the road to harass President Trump…and as usual The Boss ignores him 😂 https://t.co/X8k17syAec
— CiceroConsultancy (@CiceroConsulta1) June 30, 2021
Jim Acosta got to yell a question at Trump today like old times... except CNN has 75% less viewers now and his career is hanging by threads.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) June 30, 2021
While it may not be quite the 75% ratings drop as some claimed, CNN has in fact bled audiences at an alarming rate. According to one report, since April, when Acosta took over the weekend CNN Newsroom show, its viewership has dropped by 30% compared to the first three months of 2021 – and by 41% on Sunday.
Hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants have crossed the US-Mexico border since January, as Biden reversed almost all of Trump’s immigration policies. Some of them even wore ‘Biden let us in’ shirts, using the Democrat’s campaign logo. Texas and Arizona, which are run by Republican governors, have sought to tighten border enforcement themselves, accusing the federal government of dereliction of duty.
The White House has rejected describing the border situation as a ‘crisis’ and downplayed the surge as “seasonal.” It has also blamed it on the previous administration, poverty, and climate change.
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