CNN Anchor Jim Acosta Reportedly Leaving Network
CNN anchor Jim Acosta is reportedly leaving the network after being pulled from its programming schedule. According to The Status newsletter, Acosta’s 10 a.m. ET program was replaced with “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown” as part of the network’s latest reshuffling.
Acosta was initially pitched by CNN CEO Mark Thompson to move his one-hour program to a two-hour slot beginning at midnight, a move that may have been seen as a less desirable spot in the lineup. A CNN insider reportedly said that Acosta “struggled with the choice” and may be cutting his contract short as a result.
Another insider expressed dismay over Acosta’s exit, stating, “Many viewers like Jim… if there is anyone who could make the overnight go it’s him,” and called it “sad to see him go.”
Acosta, a vocal critic of the Trump administration, became widely known for his adversarial relationship with President Donald Trump and his aides during the first Trump administration. After the 2020 election, Acosta’s role at CNN was shifted to chief domestic correspondent, anchoring a show on weekends before moving to weekday programming.
Acosta first joined CNN in 2007, covering political campaigns and the Obama and Trump White Houses. He quickly gained notoriety for shouting questions at Trump’s White House press secretaries and engaging in contentious exchanges with the president himself, earning a reputation for grandstanding and receiving a profile boost from Trump’s comments about “fake news.”
Acosta’s exit from CNN comes as the network appears to be shifting its focus towards more neutral programming, a departure from its previous prominence in reporting on Trump’s presidency.