CNN Engulfed in Chaos, Jim Acosta 'Threatening to Quit' Over Reassignment: Report
During President Donald Trump’s first term, one of the most notorious thorns in his side was CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta.
(He would often clash with former Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on all manner of Trump-related topics.)
During Trump’s second term, it appears Acosta may be more of a thorn in his employer’s side, than the president’s.
A blistering report from the Los Angeles Times claimed that Acosta is bristling at a purported time slot change.
“Acosta, a fixture on the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned network since 2007, is mulling a proposal from CNN Chairman and Chief Executive Mark Thompson to give up his daytime shift and move to Los Angeles to helm a two-hour nightly newscast that starts at midnight Eastern time,” the Times reported.
Somewhat understandably (given his tenure), Acosta doesn’t seem all that thrilled with working a graveyard shift.
“Jim Acosta is threatening to quit CNN rather than accept a reassigned time slot that would see him move from late mornings to the graveyard shift,” the New York Post reported.
CNN is reportedly trying to massage Acosta’s ego by making the Los Angeles move optional.
“Acosta has yet to make a decision on accepting the assignment, said the people familiar with the matter, who were not authorized to comment publicly,” the Times reported. “He has been told by CNN that the move to Los Angeles is not a requirement and that the new program could come out of Washington, where he lives with his family.”
Interestingly, the Times noted that CNN’s lineup shakeup could be a direct response to Trump.
The outlet acknowledges that onlookers will “will see it as a way of capitulating to President Trump by reducing the profile of a journalist known for his aggressive coverage of Trump’s first administration.”
Acosta’s co-workers, for one, appear to fully subscribe to that theory.
One source told Fox News that Acosta was effectively “getting hosed.”
Fox also noted that CNN’s tumult is very real and ever-expanding.
“Another CNN insider told Fox News Digital that executives were ‘beyond apoplectic’ that news of Acosta’s one-on-one conversation with Thompson was leaked, leaving the network flat-footed by the outrage generated online,” Fox reported.
This latest report does cap off an absolutely chaotic period for CNN.
Not only have ratings tanked, but the network has seen a genuine exodus of talent.
And that’s to say nothing of the legal issues the network has grappled with — quite recently, at that.
Interestingly, the Times reported that there is “an ongoing effort by CNN to lure back conservative and Republican voters.”
Jettisoning Acosta to the graveyard shift may not necessarily help those efforts, but given the reporter’s thorny past with Trump, it probably won’t hurt.
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