Wednesday President Trump held a news conference in which he spoke of how Republican’s won big after Tuesday’s midterms. The press conference lasted about an hour a fifteen minutes during which President Trump took questions from the gathered press.
The exchanges were often times combative, with President Trump telling several foreign correspondents that he couldn’t understand the questions they asked. President Trump than told PBS News Hour reporter, Yamiche Alcindor that her question was a racist question, when she asked if the President thought he was “emboldening white” nationalist by calling himself a nationalist.
But no exchange was as combative as the exchange between President Trump and CNN’s Jim Acosta.
Acosta started to ask President Trump about his campaign stance that the caravan of migrants that are crossing through Mexico are an “invasion.”
President Trump to Jim @Acosta: "Honestly, I think you should let me run the country and you run CNN" https://t.co/eeEAI1W9yh pic.twitter.com/RTGF0XdgvJ
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) November 7, 2018
The start of the clip Acosta thanks President Trump, tells him he wants to challenge his statement that the caravan of migrants is an “invasion.” President Trump interrupts the question a few times, saying, “I consider it an invasion.” Acosta then moves on to the ad that several media outlets including FOX News pulled down after complaints the ad was racist. They continue to argue Acosta explaining that the caravan is still hundreds of miles away. At the 1 minute and 19 second mark President Trump says, “Honestly I think you should let me run the country and you run CNN.”
At the 1 minute and 27 minute mark, Acosta attempts to ask another question this time about the Russia investigation, President Trump tells Acosta “that’s enough, that’s enough.”
During this exchange a White House intern tries to remove Acosta’s mic he says to the intern “pardon me.” Acosta turns back to President Trump and asks, “are you concerned about the Russian investigation?” President Trump says he isn’t concerned because, “it’s a hoax.” Acosta works in are you worried about “indictments coming in,” afterward Acosta handed the mic to the intern.
President Trump walks away from the podium for a second comes back to the podium and says, “CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a rude terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN.”
CNN responded to the exchange via Twitter. Calling the Presidents continued attacks against the press, “disturbingly un-American.”
CNN’s response to @realDonaldTrump’s press conference today: pic.twitter.com/tJ3nZDnYwO
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 7, 2018
At 7:46 p.m. Acosta tweeted that he was denied entrance to the White House. Informed by the Secret Service that he wasn’t allowed on White House grounds.
I’ve just been denied entrance to the WH. Secret Service just informed me I cannot enter the WH grounds for my 8pm hit
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 8, 2018
Two minutes after Acosta’s tweet Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders explained in a series of tweets that Acosta was suspended from the White House, because they do not “tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman.”
As a result of today’s incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) November 8, 2018
Tom Coates posted a tweet video that features the exchange between Acosta and the White House intern.
The video clearly shows she tried to aggressively grab it off him and he calmly held her back: pic.twitter.com/i1GNUF0dZB
— Tom Coates (@tomcoates) November 8, 2018
Acosta also called the reason for his suspension “a lie.”
This is a lie. https://t.co/FastFfWych
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 8, 2018
For what it’s worth this is the video clip of President Trump calling a reporters question racist.
