Why Jim Acosta is Departing from CNN: The Anchor and Trump Critic Urges Resistance Against Tyranny
Jim Acosta has announced his departure from CNN.
The chief domestic correspondent of CNN shared the news on air Tuesday, stating that “after carefully considering everything and looking at an alternate time slot CNN proposed, I have decided to move on.”
Acosta, aged 53, has been part of the network since 2007. A staunch critic of former President Donald Trump, Acosta expressed that his reporting during Trump’s first term was not the “highlight” of his career. Instead, he regarded his coverage of former President Barack Obama’s 2016 trip to Cuba as a pivotal experience.
“I had the opportunity to interrogate the dictator Raul Castro regarding political prisoners on the island,” Acosta mentioned during his broadcast. “As the son of a Cuban refugee, I learned that it’s never appropriate to submit to a tyrant. I firmly believe that it is the responsibility of the press to hold those in power accountable.”
This transition comes after Acosta’s show was re-scheduled to an unusual timeslot, with reports indicating that he was offered a midnight slot as Trump began his second term. A CNN spokesperson stated on Friday that the network was “actively discussing a new time slot with Jim and will provide further information soon.”
CNN confirmed his departure on Tuesday to YSL News.
“Jim has had a significant and nearly 20-year tenure at CNN, characterized by his resolve to confront authority, champion the First Amendment, and defend our journalistic independence,” the network remarked in a statement. “We appreciate the commitment and dedication he has displayed in his reporting and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
CNN has been reorganizing its programming, moving hosts like Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer to earlier timeslots as the company announces the elimination of about 200 TV positions, which constitutes 6% of its workforce, based on the network’s own accounts.
Several prominent anchors across U.S. news channels, spanning from Fox News to CNN, have stepped down from their influential roles at the anchor desk.
Contributing: Jay Stahl
