President Trump has “gone too far” in his fight with the news media, CNN said in a statement Wednesday.
The network’s communications department said in a statement that it backed its White House correspondent Jim Acosta after Trump at a press conference called him a “rude, terrible person.”
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“This president’s ongoing attacks on the press have gone too far,” CNN said. “They are not only dangerous, they are disturbingly un-American.”
The exchange between Trump and Acosta took place at the White House during the president’s first press conference following Tuesday’s midterm elections, which saw Democrats take back control of the House but lose several high-profile gubernatorial races and fail to make gains in the Senate.
[Opinion: Trump doesn’t owe Jim Acosta or any other reporter an extended back-and-forth]
CNN’s response to @realDonaldTrump’s press conference today: pic.twitter.com/tJ3nZDnYwO
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 7, 2018
At one point in the conference, Acosta asked Trump to explain his emphasis on the caravan of Central American migrants headed to the southern border, which Trump has repeatedly referred to as “an invasion.”
Trump said he considered it invasion and that any attempt to dispute that was a “difference of opinion.”
When Trump attempted to move on to another questioner, Acosta held onto the microphone to continue asking questions.
“You are a rude, terrible person,” Trump said to Acosta, also reprimanding him for what he said was “horrible” treatment of White House press secretary Sarah Sanders at the daily press briefings.
President Trump to Jim @Acosta: “You should let me run the country. You run CNN.”
“That’s enough. Put down the mic. CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a rude terrible person.” pic.twitter.com/GR9TIbKUok
— CSPAN (@cspan) November 7, 2018
He also said CNN “should be a shamed” for employing Acosta.
“While President Trump has made it clear he does not respect a free press, he has a sworn obligation to protect it,” CNN said.
