The White House said late Wednesday it has revoked press credentials for CNN reporter Jim Acosta, following a combative back and forth between Acosta and President Donald Trump at a press conference earlier in the day.
At one point, a female White House staffer tried to take the microphone away from Acosta, who said “pardon me, ma’am” as he held onto it while he attempted to ask Trump another question.
“As a result of today’s incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement Wednesday night.
White House is LYING to smear @Acosta. Here is video of WH aide bum rushing Acosta. She PUT her hands on him!pic.twitter.com/7xcWHYApow
— 3ChicsPolitico (@3ChicsPolitico) November 8, 2018
“We will . . . never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern…” Sanders said. “This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. . . . 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.”
“This is a lie,” Acosta responded in a tweet. The above video appears to support him, as it does not appear that he placed his hands on the aide.
Revoking the “hard pass,” as it is known, effectively bans Acosta from the White House unless supervised.
Acosta found out when he was turned away by White House security Wednesday night before a scheduled live shot.
“I’ve just been denied entrance to the WH,” Acosta tweeted. “Secret Service just informed me I cannot enter the WH grounds for my 8pm hit.”
MEMO to these journos:
BOYCOTT THAT BITCH!
Where’s the news about the boogey man Caravan filled with gang members & mid eastern people coming to break into white people’s homes?Well, the election is over and there’s no reason to scare white people anymore. Y’all do realize you got played, hoodwinked, bamboozled by Trump, right?
https://twitter.com/DrDenaGrayson/status/1060380015647449088
https://twitter.com/krassenstein/status/1060566868430282752
https://twitter.com/mitchellreports/status/1060322691411075077
https://twitter.com/AliVelshi/status/1060242299081420801
https://twitter.com/JRubinBlogger/status/1060559920238657539
PressSec should be FIRED for spreading a bald face lie with a doctored video to smear @Acosta.
https://twitter.com/axios/status/1060556298624761857
It’s interesting listening to Donald tell a reporter what a horrible person he is. Donald who locks children in cages. Donald who would deny healthcare to tens of millions of Americans. And so forth…
https://twitter.com/abdallahcnn/status/1060345336005357568
https://twitter.com/Lollardfish/status/1060340371673305088
https://twitter.com/adamcbest/status/1060350516411228160
https://twitter.com/TalbertSwan/status/1060405488091910144
Hitler the 2nd is afraid, eh?