It looks like Jim Acosta is finally packing up his microphone and leaving CNN after almost 18 years.
You’d think someone with such a storied (and self-important) career might be getting a grand send-off, but instead, Acosta seems to be quietly exiting stage left after being demoted to the overnight slot—a broadcasting graveyard where even infomercials for magic blenders get better ratings. Let’s face it: the writing’s been on the wall for a while, and CNN’s decision to bench him during their morning programming shuffle was probably the final nail in the coffin.
For those of us who remember Acosta’s years as chief White House correspondent during the Trump administration, the news of his departure feels less like a major media moment and more like the end of a long, overplayed soap opera. Acosta’s entire brand revolved around sparring with President Trump—whether it was badgering him at press conferences, refusing to hand over the microphone, or delivering melodramatic soliloquies about the state of journalism while staring into CNN’s cameras. Who could forget the 2018 moment when Trump finally had enough and said what the rest of America was thinking? “You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN.” Ouch.
FULL EXCHANGE: Trump vs. @Acosta
“Put down the mic…”
“You are a rude, terrible person…” pic.twitter.com/hdnNGd2xLc— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) November 7, 2018
But rather than taking the president’s criticism as a moment for self-reflection, Acosta doubled down on his combative, partisan approach. He wrote a book titled The Enemy of the People: A Dangerous Time to Tell the Truth in America because, of course, he did. In it, Acosta all but declared himself the Last Honest Journalist™️, claiming neutrality “doesn’t serve us in the age of Trump.” Translation? Acosta wasn’t even pretending to play it straight anymore. His job wasn’t to report; it was to resist. And CNN gave him a platform to do just that, turning him into the face of the anti-Trump media brigade.
But here’s the thing about making your entire career a one-man war against Donald Trump: eventually, the Trump Show ends—or at least takes a hiatus. After President Trump left office, Acosta was unceremoniously shuffled into a new role as chief domestic correspondent, which is code for “we don’t know what to do with you now.” CNN even threw him a weekend anchor spot, but the buzz was gone. Without Trump to spar with, Acosta was just another face on a network losing relevance faster than Joe Biden at the end of a press conference.
Jim Acosta was just shitcanned from CNN, so let’s take a moment to remember that time a crowd erupted in a “Go home, Jim” chant at a Trump rally. pic.twitter.com/CPlTN3fax0
— Bad Hombre (@joma_gc) January 28, 2025
And let’s talk about his “big ideas.” Just days after the 2020 election, Acosta smugly predicted Trump would become “just another crackpot on the Internet” after January 20th. Fast-forward a few years, and Trump remains the undisputed king of political influence, while Acosta can’t even keep a daytime slot at CNN. The irony is almost too rich to handle.
Acosta’s critics, including former CNN producer Steve Krakauer, nailed it when they said he was more interested in being famous than being a journalist. Sparring with Trump made him a household name, but once the cameras stopped rolling, it became clear that Acosta’s biggest fan was always Jim Acosta. As Congressman Tim Burchett hilariously pointed out in a recent exchange, more Americans are probably tuning in to SpongeBob SquarePants reruns than anything Acosta’s been hosting lately. And he’s not wrong.
So, what’s next for Acosta? Maybe a book deal, another round of self-congratulatory media appearances, or a cushy gig at a liberal think tank. Who knows? One thing is certain: his departure isn’t the loss to journalism he’ll undoubtedly make it out to be. If anything, it’s a chance for CNN to hit reset and for the rest of us to finally enjoy some peace and quiet without Acosta’s constant grandstanding. Good riddance.