CNN’s chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta denied Wednesday putting his hands on a White House intern as she tried to take a microphone away from him at a press conference during a heated exchange with President Trump.
“Obviously I didn’t put my hands on her or touch her as they’re alleging, and it’s just unfortunate the White House is saying this,” Acosta said during an interview with CNN colleague Anderson Cooper.
[More: Kellyanne Conway demands apology from Jim Acosta: ‘You don’t put your hands on a woman’]
“I do think this is a test for all of us. I do think they are trying to shut us down to some extent,” CNN chief White House correspondent Jim @Acosta says, in response to the White House’s decision to suspend his hard pass “until further notice.” https://t.co/a7R7LIbTQJ pic.twitter.com/VZj8NmzGEf
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) November 8, 2018
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced Wednesday that Acosta’s permanent press credentials had been revoked over the incident.
“We will … never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern,” she tweeted. “The fact that CNN is proud of the way their employee behaved is not only disgusting, it‘s an example of their outrageous disregard for everyone, including young women, who work in this Administration.”
President Trump believes in a free press and expects and welcomes tough questions of him and his Administration. We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern…
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) November 8, 2018
CNN’s communication team described the reasons Sanders provided for the decision as being based on “fraudulent accusations,” and citing “an incident that never happened.”
“This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better,” the cable news network’s statement said. “Jim Acosta has our full support.”
Video of the interaction shows Acosta trying to hold on to the microphone in order to ask Trump another question. When the intern attempted to take the microphone from him after Trump indicated he wanted to move on from their back-and-forth, Acosta appeared to momentarily push down on the young woman’s arm with his wrist. The intern then knelt down as Acosta inquired about special counsel Robert Mueller’s federal Russia investigation.
