Oh, how the mighty have fallen—or in Jim Acosta’s case, how the perpetually self-important have been shuffled to the graveyard shift. Word on the street (or rather, via Oliver Darcy’s newsletter) is that CNN chief Mark Thompson is considering moving Acosta from his relatively successful morning slot to a midnight-to-2 a.m. time block. That’s right, folks, the former self-proclaimed champion of democracy may soon find himself shouting into the void while the rest of America is sound asleep. If that’s not poetic justice, what is?
First, let’s take a moment to appreciate just how far Jim Acosta has come—or fallen—since his days of antagonizing Donald Trump at every possible turn. Remember when Acosta proudly wore the title of “Most Annoying Anti-Trump Journalist” as if it were a badge of honor? Whether it was his dramatic monologues, endless grandstanding, or attempts to make every press briefing about himself, Acosta made sure he stayed in the spotlight. But as the saying goes, what goes up must come down, and it looks like Acosta’s ego is about to take a nosedive straight into the midnight abyss.
The timing of this rumored demotion is, of course, deliciously ironic. Just this week, Acosta delivered one of his signature melodramatic speeches, warning that the free press is “crumbling” with Trump’s imminent return to the White House. He even held up a handmade placard from a supposed supporter that read, “I march for Jim Acosta and a free press.” Really, Jim? Who exactly is out there marching for you? If this is how Acosta fights for journalistic integrity, it’s no wonder CNN’s ratings are circling the drain.
But let’s not overlook the real tragedy here: the man who once claimed he needed “hazard pay” to cover Trump’s presidency might now have to man CNN’s version of Siberia—the midnight slot. Sure, Acosta’s ratings weren’t terrible by CNN standards, but let’s be honest, being “successful” on CNN these days is like winning a participation trophy. The network’s viewership is down nearly 50% since the last election cycle, with Deadline describing the ratings collapse as viewers becoming “politics-weary.” Translation: the endless anti-Trump hysteria isn’t selling like it used to, and viewers are tuning out in droves.
Of course, Acosta being Acosta, he’s likely to treat this potential demotion as yet another chapter in his self-written narrative of heroic resistance. Don’t be surprised if he starts referring to his midnight shift as “the front lines of democracy” or spins this move as an attempt to connect with “late-night truth seekers.” After all, this is the same man who titled his book The Enemy of the People: A Dangerous Time to Tell the Truth in America and described himself as “public enemy number one” in Trump’s so-called “war on truth.” Someone pass him a cape because he clearly sees himself as a superhero—though more people seem to view him as a caricature.
Some final thoughts on today’s show… on the free press in America. The free press is only “crumbling” if we the people allow that to happen. Watch: pic.twitter.com/m6AAgGyTGU
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 16, 2025
Let’s not forget some of Acosta’s greatest hits during Trump’s presidency. Who could forget the infamous press briefing showdown where Acosta refused to hand over the microphone to a young female aide, earning himself a suspension from the White House press corps? Or the time he dramatically walked out of a briefing after Sarah Huckabee Sanders declined to say the press wasn’t “the enemy of the people”? Those moments didn’t exactly scream “journalistic professionalism,” but they did cement Acosta’s reputation as a man more interested in the spotlight than the story.
“Mr. President, will you stop calling the press the enemy of the people,” CNN Journalist Jim Acosta shouted at the end of Trump’s speech pic.twitter.com/FqWT5afwUV
— POLITICO (@politico) June 29, 2018
If Mark Thompson really wants to save CNN, moving Acosta to the midnight slot is a step in the right direction. The network’s obsession with anti-Trump outrage has clearly worn thin, and viewers are demanding something new—or at the very least, something less insufferable. Acosta might still think he’s the voice of the resistance, but judging by CNN’s tanking numbers, it seems America has had enough of his theatrics.
BREAKING: White House aide grabs and tries to physically remove a microphone from CNN Correspondent Jim Acosta during a contentious exchange with President Trump at a news conference. pic.twitter.com/fFm7wclFw2
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 7, 2018
So here’s to Jim Acosta’s new adventure in the land of 2 a.m. infomercials and reruns. It’s not quite the exile to Siberia he might claim it to be, but it’s certainly a fitting chapter in the saga of a man who’s always believed his own hype. Let’s see if he can keep shouting into the void—or if even the void decides it’s time to tune him out.