Trump Shuts Down Acosta After He Refuses to Play 2nd Fiddle at News Briefing
This wasn’t the answer CNN’s showboating White House correspondent Jim Acosta was expecting.
When President Donald Trump spoke at a rally for Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas on Monday, he called himself a “nationalist,” according to a CNN report.
The following day, Acosta used asked an Oval Office news conference to ask the president what he meant by that.
I also asked Trump about the “nationalist” label he has given himself. He brushed off the notion that this means he is a “white nationalist.” Video to come.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) October 23, 2018
I asked Trump what does that mean when he says he is a “nationalist.” His response: “I love our country.”
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) October 23, 2018
The Daily Caller reported Trump’s response at a little more length — and made it clear what the president was really saying.
“I love our country. Our country has taken second fiddle,” Trump said.
“If you look at the trade deals, I am knocking out some of the worse deals I have ever seen.
“We give them our wealth and they don’t treat us properly. And we are taking care of their military for a fraction of the cost.”
Acosta apparently didn’t get what he wanted from Trump’s answer and hit him with multiple follow-up questions, according to The Daily Caller. Trump wasn’t having any of it.
“I will get back to you,” Trump said. “Wait, wait, wait, wait. I’m going to get back to you.”
When Acosta objected, Trump shut him down.
“No, not now. I will get back to you,” Trump said. “You can’t take the whole thing. We have a number of other fine reporters.”
After giving other reporters a chance to ask their questions, Trump did return to Acosta so he could continue his questioning, which was clearly aimed at continuing to push the left’s “white nationalist” narrative.
I followed up about the concern that he is sending coded language that he is a white nationalist. Trump: “I’ve never heard that theory about being a nationalist.”
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) October 23, 2018
Acosta, of course, has a reputation for grand-standing and making himself the focus of stories. Despite an attempt at playing hero to a female reporter not so long ago in regard to Trump taking questions, he had no such compulsion when it came to hogging the media’s time so he could get his agenda met.
Fortunately for the other reporters, Trump saw through him and respectfully gave them time to ask their questions. And, true to his word, he did go back to Acosta.
However, his answer to Acosta’s loaded follow-up may have been more than Acosta bargained for. It ended up being quite a lengthy, detailed explanation of why he is “proud” of the nationalist label.
Check out the answer here. It’s so good even liberals should have a problem arguing with it.
And all of it, just as with Trump’s original answer to Acosta, pointed right back to the president’s motto of putting “America first.”
And what did Acosta take from all of that? Trump denying familiarity with the theory that being a nationalist, proud of one’s country, was akin to being a white supremacist.
Between Acosta’s ego and selective reporting, it’s really no wonder that people continue to mock him and call CNN “fake news.”
Fortunately for the public and the rest of the media, Trump and administration officials like Sarah Sanders can keep Acosta’s showboating and ego in check.
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