White House pulls Jim Acosta’s press pass for physically blocking female intern from taking back microphone
Sarah Sanders: “We will … never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern”
We covered earlier today how CNN’s Jim Acosta refused to hand over a White House microphone when asked to do so, instead insisting on continuing to shout questions after already having asked a question and engaged in a back and forth with Trump.
Trump tried to call on other reporters, and directed a female staffer to get the microphone from Acosta and give it to the next questioner. But Acosts physically prevented the female staffer from getting the microphone out of his hands.
Here is the video of the exchange when Acosta uses his hand to try to block the female staffers arm (see featured image for circled screengrab):
Sarah Sanders tweeted the following statement:
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…
This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporter’s colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.
Contrary to CNN’s assertions there is no greater demonstration of the President’s support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters…
…over the course of 1.5 hours including several from the reporter in question. 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
As a result of today’s incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.
Acosta, and his supporters, are claiming the Acosta never put his hands on the female staffer:
But the video and screencap show that Acosta used his left arm and hand to block the woman’s arm. This image is a second after the featured image, so you can see that he initially put his hand to block her arm (featured image) and continued that motion to block her:
These close-in video clips show it clearly:
https://twitter.com/Lee_Saks/status/1060350564373016582
.@Acosta got physical with a young White House staffer attempting to pass a microphone to the next reporter.
He needs to calm down. #MAGA ?? pic.twitter.com/dVOtc60KuV
— HARLAN Z. HILL ?? (@Harlan) November 7, 2018
(added) Sarah Sanders tweeted out video tonight:
We stand by our decision to revoke this individual’s hard pass. We will not tolerate the inappropriate behavior clearly documented in this video. pic.twitter.com/T8X1Ng912y
— Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) November 8, 2018
Acosta posted video showing him being denied access to White House grounds tonight:
The US Secret Service just asked for my credential to enter the WH. As I told the officer, I don’t blame him. I know he’s just doing his job. (Sorry this video is not rightside up) pic.twitter.com/juQeuj3B9R
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 8, 2018
Acosta acted as if it were HIS microphone. But it was the White Houses microphone.
Acosta makes everything about him. He set out to create a scene today. And he succeeded.
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Trump is still adept at wrestling narrative control away from the media and they cannot stand it. I think Trump wanted this conflict as much as Acosta to prove to the media and public that this midterm did nothing to take his confidence away. He didn’t plan the conflict but certainly leveraged the bejesus out of it.
Acosta should be prosecuted for Assult. Verbal and Physical! ….there were several others who should have their Press Pulled!
Republican POTUS suspends privileges of reporter who physically accosts intern.
Democrat POTUS sexually abuses intern and violates her with a cigar.
War on women?
A feminine female intern, yes. Apparently, #NotHer, because they’re notoriously Pro-Choice, selective, opportunistic, and politically congruent.
Jim AccostYa?
The link below contains an embedded looping video clip of Acosta’s assault on the female White House intern.
https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/9v1jmd/so_were_all_just_gonna_pretend_jim_acosta_didnt/
There is seemingly obvious force involved, on the part of Acosta.
Several days ago a leftist college student was arrested for splashing a few drops of chocolate milk onto a college republican. Surely Acosta’s physical actions today qualify for assault and battery.
Unlike with that loser Michelle Fields, the videotape here is clear and convincing. There is no ambiguity. I hope the female White House intern sues Acosta and his employer CNN. Bigly.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/authorities-drop-battery-charges-against-trump-campaign-manager-corey-lewandowski-n556051
Good move. The intern needs to prefer charges.
Agree, at least $2-$3 million dollars! The lady was assaulted on national TV by a major #FakeNews hooligan while obeying a direct command from the President.
To the leftists, she isn’t a REAL woman, just like blacks who vote for Republicans aren’t REAL blacks, so in their view, they don’t count.
Just listen to them prattle that any woman who votes for Republicans and Trump are deranged and voting against their own preservation, they should not be allowed to go off the plantation.
Mild face-palm…
Referring charges alludes to a criminal complaint.
Of course, she can sue for civil assault and battery (two torts), but her damages would be negligible.
Still, not a bad idea. Let the law deal with it.
Good kickoff for a counteroffensive.
I don’t see any political drawback in pursuing charges. As someone said, when they go low, kick ’em.
Of course it would allow Acosta to feel like quite the martyr, but he was probably going to do that anyway.
The White House should not grant Acosta’s replacement access until CNN accepts responsibility and disciplines Acosta.
CNN will have Acosta continue to cover the White House from outside the fence. They will show him with the high fence in the background as if to say “Trump is scared of us”.
God the press is SO GODDAMN STUPID and so easily manipulated by Trump.
They just won the House. They could be talking about literally anything else – Pelosi’s plans, how they’re going to (try to) impeach Trump, whatever nonsense bill they’re going to pass that they know is never going to become law.
Instead what are they screaming about? JIM FUCKING ACOSTA. You think this wasn’t planned by Trump?
Trump plays these fools like a fiddle.
As a reporter, I was fortunate enough to cover something at the White House once, it wasn’t my beat, so going there was an honor. I had to give info. for a background check before going, and maybe things have changed since then, I don’t know, but once you’ve been cleared as a non-Unibomber and approved to get in, when you get there, you still can’t simply check in and go inside.
This visit for me was on the North side, I think that is the only entrance for media. Went to a gate, told them who I was and what I was there for, showed them my credential and they waived me into a holding pen. It’s like a tiny little open-aired jail next to the small guard house. Then another guard came out and asked me who I was and he said to wait, they had to run a check on me. I thought – OK, I thought they already did this but maybe because I wasn’t a regular who covered WH events, who knows. I didn’t care, I thought it was pretty darn cool to be a the WH.
Another reporter came in right after I did and the guard asked who he was – he showed them a very fancy WH credential (I had the temporary pass for losers) and I recognized this guy as someone who used to work at the same newspaper I did a few years back, different departments. I didn’t know him very well, just knew who he was. So we started talking and a third person shows up, a producer for the Today show. I know this because when she was told to wait with us, she was extremely pissed and said – I’M A PRODUCER WITH THE TODAY SHOW AND I NEED TO GET IN THERE NOW AND HOW DARE YOU SAY I CAN’T GET IN NOW BLAH, BLAH, BLAH….
I’m not gonna say who the WH reporter was but if you’re a news person you would know who it is, and I looked at his face and he rolled his eyes. She then got on a cell phone with someone at the show, blasting the guards about how this was ridiculous for her to wait. I said to the WH beat guy – is waiting like this unusual? He said, no, it happens all the time. It may have happened every time, I don’t remember. All I know is that it was SOP and this Today show moron was making an ass of herself. I could not believe how childish this person was.
After several minutes of listening to this 50-something-year-old preteen TV show producer, the guards finally let us on the grounds and she bolted for wherever she needed to go.
I am dead serious – on the whole, the most thin-skinned, juvenile group of jerks I’ve ever met in my life are media people, and it gets worse the higher up the food chain you go. I am convinced everyone who works with Acosta thinks he’s behaved like a superhero.
TY Colonel, this type of first had account is golden.
Acosta should be permanently banned from the press pool. For that matter, Trump should put them in a canvas covered tent, outside of the White House grounds, and let them email or text their questions/venom.
If “the medium is the message” them do shoulder rolls in their medium.
What is up with liberal men and their treatment of women but their overall disrespectful behavior towards authority in general?
Jim Acosta = Alex Baldwin
Ego mania masking insecurity. The best response to “don’t you know who I am?” is “yes,” and then going about one’s business as planned.
I would add the word “Entitled” before Ego mania.
I find far too many leftists to treat women and minorities poorly if they aren’t leftists themselves.
I am come to believe that the left think it is their right to treat anyone who is against their views to be sub-human. Just like the fungible genders, Republicans are trans human, so we don’t really qualify as people.
The arrogance of the left knows no boundaries. With the propaganda machine of the media they get to spread their lies about everything that goes against the spin of the DNC.
Yet, we are not winning, for if people really saw things as they are in reality, and not in the fantasy world of the left, they wouldn’t have taken the House.
That’s a bit harsh on Alex!
So the next briefing – will the press make it all about Acosta?
No. They’ll make it all about themselves. “An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us!” sort of thing. They don’t care a bit about him. It’s just an excuse to preen.
Acosta’s actions were reprehensible, selfish, entitled, and shameful. But his (likely instinctual) gentle blocking of the female intern’s arm is being blown out of proportion. Definitely he should have given up the microphone immediately, rather than cradling it to his chest and defending it as if it were his baby. But he didn’t “attack” or lash out at the intern.
However, he does deserve to be admonished and banned for being the entitled jerk that he is.
It’s telling that your first instinct is to protect and enable the schmuck.
Overreaction is the key to dealing with the political Left.
“Acosta’s actions were reprehensible, selfish, entitled, and shameful. But his (likely instinctual) gentle blocking of the female intern’s arm is being blown out of proportion.
If your first sentence is true, the second one can’t be true.
Losing a press pass for something that was “reprehensible, selfish, entitled, and shameful” is NOT “out of proportion.”
No, not gentle. There is a nerve in the arm where the knife edge of his hand connects with her arm. Without using much force and hitting the nerve the arm can go numb, or cause pain. It is an offensive move.
Trump should hold his next press conference in the penthouse of Trump Tower, then shut down the elevators and make them all take the stairs. 😉
I have seen people trying to justify his actions by saying that she grabbed him first.
However there is a major difference, She was doing her job, he was being an entitled asshat. Her job is to get the microphone once the reporters time is over and he had taken more time than anyone so far.
It’s past time for the White House to reassert the rules and decorum of the Press Room.
I agree with Fen above, do not let CNN back in until they discipline Acosta.
P.S. Oh and that hefer April Ryan is next.
I’m seeing the truly committed – including the WH correspondents association – deny there was physical contact on Acosta’s part at all. At this point it becomes a “believe your lying eyes” thing and I have little desire to deal with people who are politically blind.
Instead of using petite interns for this job, President Trump should hire vets…like former Marines, for example.
Or send her out with a Marine to back her. This isn’t a known social war zone. A feminine female should not need to choose between life and the shadows (“penumbra”).
On the contrary. Using petite feminine interns is out-Alinskying the Alinksyites (“Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.”).
I can see your point, I say use Female Marines.
Actually, no. Send in the bruisers if you want a fight; send in less formidable mortals if you want your opponent to look like a jackass.
While it might be effective in being allowed to do their jobs, it would be turned the opposite way and the media would claim assault from them.
I hope Sanders has the video of his actions keyed up and ready to play on large screen TV of where Acosta accosted the young lady, have it on loop as the media look to whine about him.
She wouldn’t have to say a word other than go ahead, defend this.
Nice, big, soft-spoken, well-mannered Marine vets. Did I mention big? People assume that they can shove women around, and they do things they would never try on a large man. If that sounds sexist, it is, but the sexism is not on my part.
This whole discussion about whether Trump does or doesn’t support a “free press” proceeds under the myth, deliberately created and propagated by the reporting trade, that they are “the press”, and that when the constitution protects “the freedom of speech or of the press” it means them.
First of all, “the freedom of speech or of the press” is one freedom, not two. It’s the freedom to express oneself, whether orally or in print, and including other means of expression such as symbolic action, or the electronic one we’re using now.
Second, that right belongs equally to every person, in the exact same measure. It has nothing to do with news reporting, and those who choose to engage in that trade are not entitled to special privileges nor do they have any special place in the constitution or role in our system of government.
Presidents allow reporters into the White House because they want the publicity, not because they have some sort of constitutional obligation to do so. Reporters have no more right of access than anyone else; what they’re given is a favor that a president has every right to withdraw at his whim. So when the president says “your turn is over, give the mic back”, you do it, just as you would at any other event where you’d been given the privilege of speaking. Whether you’re at a press conference or a karaoke bar, it’s not your mic; when the owner wants it back you give it.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m a former journalist, and I despair at what the trade I love has become.
You are acting as part of “the press” right now.
I have already read my regional newspaper, and I am online right now in search of the rest of the news.
As I’ve pointed out…and I think this is fairly novel to me…
“the press” as used in the First does not refer to people at all.
It refers to the ability to use technology (the “printing press” at the time) to publish thought to a mass audience. “The press” today includes every means of expressing opinion, and has become far more democratic (small d) than the Founders could have imagined. Your smart phone is “the press” as used in the First.
Acosta’s mic taken away after being a perpetual jackass, the media swarm in and comfort him and pat his head and give him milk and cookies.
Tucker Carlson threatened and his house stalked by a mob?
*sound of crickets*
Blocking her was rude, but I don’t think it warrants pulling his access. At least for a first offense (and by this I mean physical contact). What I found more telling is when Acosta said he was going to “challenge” Trump about the caravan.
What I’d like to see Trump do when Acosta refuses to give anyone else the microphone is just leave. Let the rest of the Press Corpse deal with Acosta’s grandstanding when they find he’s reducing their access to the POTUS.
“…I don’t think it warrants pulling his access…”
right: the WH uniformed security should have come in, proned him out, cuffed his sorry a55, read him his Miranda rights, then frog marched him out of the room, into a vehicle, and presented him to a federal magistrate for booking on charges.
F that little 5hitweassel, sideways, with a flaming pineapple wrapped in concertina wire.
i hope she sues him into penury.
Next, red will tell us what he really thinks.
(I laughed my a55 off!)
Red need5 to get hi5 keyboard fixed.
UMMM…..
5OME OF U$ WERENTBORN WITH PERFECT KEYBPARD$ LIKE Y❤U????
It seemed, to me, that President Trump was looking for White House security to step in and intervene on the young lady’s behalf. He even looked very annoyed when it did not happen.
I believe that by this time, the President, or one of his representatives have re-educated the security team on the correct actions to take should another assault occur.
I disagree with the first part of your statement, Acosta has been hostile to this President and to Sarah Sanders for a long time, verbal assaults for everything they say while allowing him a platform for his opinions. He doesn’t have the right to put his hands on the woman. He was told that was all, and the President asked for the next question. Acosta refused to give up the mic. I have never seen a reporter act like him before. Sure, plenty have kept up their rhetoric for a bit, but never refused to hand over the mic.
I do agree with the second part about Trump just walking away, but Trump had more he wanted to say, and the press wouldn’t have turned on Acosta, they would have said Trump was afraid to talk to them anymore. Acosta would have been treated as a hero. The media is editing Acosta putting his hands on the woman, they would certainly edit Trump telling Acosta that was all, and just show him walking out. Acosta would smugly tell it as Trump being afraid to answer his questions and ran away.
I watched the entire press conference, live. It was a good one, with a live wire for a President, and for once, some decent questions that he freely answered. He answered a LOT of questions, from a lot of different reporters. By giving Jim Acosta so much attention for his two-minute tantrum, the Democrat-controlled press is in effect attempting to spike the news.
Fortunately, people like me can consult the rest of the press, to watch to video and get the real news, when our “news”papers and “news”casters fail.
Acosta the acoster.
He got the hook. Bye bye.
I’ve laid a hand on a woman. As long as it was invited. Never a hostile hand. I have too much respect for women. Just ask my mom, or my sister.
If it wasn’t invited. Sorry.
I’ve placed more than a few invited hands on women, and considering I remain unindicted I think I’m safe in saying they liked it.
Ahhh, nut you have not been nominated for a seat on the supreme court nor nominated to run for president. You, my friend, are not worthy of such charges.
From the Daily Mail
ssmith, Goodyear, United States, 6 hours ago
Acosta¿s behavior was appalling. As a former CNN producer- the White House has every right to pull his credentials. Entirely unprofessional and disrespectful of the President. reporters like him give journalists and journalism a Bad name. Good riddance!
From the Daily Mail
ssmith, Goodyear, United States, 6 hours ago
Acosta¿s behavior was appalling. As a former CNN producer- the White House has every right to pull his credentials. Entirely unprofessional and disrespectful of the President. reporters like him give journalists and journalism a Bad name. Good riddance!
That karate chop Jim Acosta gives the female staffer is the same kind of move you learn in a self-defense class, on how to disarm an assailant!
There is all sorts of wrong with what happened yesterday.
1. Since when was it a reporters job to confront an administration over anything??? I always thought their job was to report the news? When they say they are going to CONFRONT the President they aren’t being objective. They are merely supporting one political stand point (open borders, unrestricted immigration, orange man bad).
2. If Acosta had an ounce of self realisation his first tweet yesterday would have been an apology to the, I’m assuming, female intern who is working for free. The fact he doubled down tells us all we need to know about how he sees himself as the victim.
3. Back to point one. Because Acosta is emotionally invested in the resurgence he is incapable of rational thought or dealing rationally with the administration. He is no longer a journalist, he is an out and out democrat activist.
4. I would call this nothing more than the start. Ryan’s access should be review along with every other journalist who sees themselves as activists. They are incapable if covering the white house objectively.
Since about Watergate, I think. Reporters have brainwashed everyone, including themselves, into believing that they are one of the checks and balances in our system of government, a “fourth estate”, not that they can name the first three.
I just saw Al Jazeera English‘s News Editor, Jeffrey Ballou, quoted as having tweeted “The President’s stunning treatment of several colleagues including @Yamiche @AprilDRyan @Acosta and @PeterAlexander may be free speech, but beyond the pale of respecting the constitutionally-enshrined role of journalists”. As we say in Yiddish, here is where the dog lies buried. Reporters have no constitutionally-enshrined role. They are not an “estate”; we’re not France.
And they’re a trade, not a profession.
Funny, how they forgot they were the “checks and balance” of the previous administration. They were too busy swooning, and bathing Obama with praise, and admiration!!
I read all your comments. Appreciate your input and knowledge. Two thumbs up!
Actually, confronting politicians and persons perceived to be in positions of power goes back to Colonial days in America. Reporters were routinely hired and used by the media organ, for whom they worked, to advance the interests of the people who owned those organs. It has only been since WWII the journalism “profession” has tried to convince their audience that they are objective reporters of events, not partisan hacks. They abandoned that attempt, in the last two decades.
One doesn’t have to search too hard to find “Democrat” in the name of a lot of historical and currently still in business newspapers. Unbiased journalism has always been a myth. Those who admit their biases are more trustworthy than those who don’t.
Plus….knowing the left as we do that girl needs to start taking her safety seriously.
CNN is now claiming the video is doctored and is shameless Orwellian propaganda…
CNN does have experience in doctoring video…..
The video used by Sanders is in fact “doctored”.
How so?
Unfortunately for the White House, it didn’t take long for the media to discover the provenance of the video, which was edited to enhance the action:
But dozens of social media users, including several reporters and political analysts, said that the video Sanders shared zooms in on the moment of contact, and appears to have been sped up to make the moment appear more aggressive. …
Many also noted that the video was first shared by an account linked to InfoWars, the website of right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
https://hotair.com/archives/2018/11/08/white-house-doubles-acosta-ban-using-doctored-video/
So what? To quote someone from above, “It’s telling that your first instinct is to protect and enable the schmuck.”
I would expect that the intern will soon receive threats of physical harm from the tolerant left.
If my kindergartener had gotten a class timeout for aggressive hands on behaviour …and he would have…he’s grown up enough to just accepted it…and I as a parent would have supported the teacher…Accosta and CNN not so much. Happy to have my five year sit down and explain things to Jim.
You guys are missing the point. That was Jim “Look at Me! Look at Me!” Acosta!!!!
Special rules apply when you are THAT special!
Key issue is whether any actions should be taken against his enablers, white house correspondents association and CNN for starters.
Didn’t the press demand Cory Lewindowski be fired for allegedly grabbing Michele Fields arm? As they what what’s sauce for the goose……!
@maxmillion : Actually, my first instinct was to reach through the Internet and give the schmuck a good slapping. And now that I’ve watched a few of the videos several more times, I would say that Acosta was actually quite forceful in blocking the intetn’s arm, and it wasn’t a “gentle” motion. It wasn’t an “attack” or violent, but it was definitely out of line.
If you look at the interns face right after he does it and before she remembers she is on camera, it looks like he almost did get the crap slapped out of him, lol.
Acosta’s battery and cradling of the mic resembles nothing so much as the reaction of a 3-year-old who is told to give his sister a turn with a toy.
In first-grade we labeled scum such as Acosta as “poo-poo head.”
If I called him a poo-poo head to his face I wonder if he would try anything physical with me?
The simple answer to this problem is to control the microphone.
Put the mic on a boom, give them their one question and then move on. If their rude or disrespectful just move on, no drama no second chances!
How about this as an option?
Wire the microphone to a Taser, and set a timer such that if the microphone doesn’t change hands within, say, two minutes, the holder is subjected to a painful electric shock.
Every time it swaps hands to someone from a different network or organisation, the timer is reset, and the next holder gets two minutes.
The White House has failed for decades now to inform the press that this is a press conference, not a debating club.
Acosta and Ryan are two of the worst offenders, but other reporters also insist that their opinions be heard by all. Frankly, I’ve long ago come to dislike and resent their brazen insistence that their opinions be heard.
Way back about 1946 we learned that a free press kept the electorate informed of their government in order for citizens to have information to use in casting their vote. It is important reporters give ALL the facts and information for citizens to be properly informed. As a citizen looking to that press conference yesterday how well did the press do at keeping me informed? a few months ago I was nervous about missiles flying around Japan and Guam. What is the status? China and trade tariffs?
National debt? Health Care? I received no information that I could use to start my 2020 ballot decision other than it looked like a bunch of hungry animals fighting over a bone. Anyone but Trump would never talk to the press ala G. Bush who allowed the press to dog him and never, ever defended his policies or actions.
Your last stanza is total…but commonly held…bullshit.
Bush spoke articulately, extemporaneously, and for an extended time in defending his policies.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Bush+press+conference+on+Iraq+war&&view=detail&mid=E5DC4CF30082D6028408E5DC4CF30082D6028408&&FORM=VRDGAR
Watch that all.
What W can be faulted for is not defending himself from personal attacks, but not for failing to defend policies (like them or not).
“I’m no big fan of yours either.” Trump is the kung-fu master of dealing with reporters.
I think a great gag would be for the President to call a press briefing and to announce they were going to have a practice session on reporters’ passing the microphone, Then he should announce a guest member of the press office will be handling the microphone passing duties today. Out comes “Titus” (Greg Gutfeld’s huge former WWE sidekick) and begins helping pass the microphone starting with taking it from Jim Acosta. At that point President Trump could tell Acosta that he is free to try and keep Titus from taking the microphone, but he wouldn’t recommend it.
Naw just get an Elementary teacher to come in and give their; “Now children, we raise our hands to be recognized.” speech.
Acosta, and much of the MSM, is no better than the Antifa thugs who riot and threaten people in restaurants and at their homes. Only he does it on national television. He is like those Vietnam Era protestors who would get in the faces of the police personnel sent to restore order to provoke a response. Then they would call the police NAZIs and claim police brutality. This administration has given the members of the Antifa press a tremendous amount of leeway. Perhaps too much. As every parent learns, limits have to be set for small children and stringently enforced, or the children run amock. Its far past time that members of the press, who misbehave, are denied entrance to the WH briefings.
Acosta is a self indulgent jack ass. Tell CNN to replace him with someone who doesn’t falsely believe he is bigger than the story he covers.
OANN, taking commercial advantage of the situation.
OAN — This is a banana
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHgDu9yDam8&feature=youtu.be
The intern should press charges.
Happy to see the commie blowhard banned from the WH. Do not rescind the ban, ignore all the commies.
OTOH, while Acosta is a rude jerk, calling what he did an assault is silly. OTOH 2, charge him anyway. Make the progs suffer from their own special brand of justice.
Its assault in the same way splashing milk on someone is assault.
Just because its not a physically violent attack does not mean it isn’t assault.
Lets not kid ourselves though…this IS the world liberals wanted. One where just looking at someone the wrong way is akin to violent physical assault so its only right that we apply the same standards to them.