CNN anchor Jim Acosta sparred with Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) about President Donald Trump‘s pardon of over 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants who were charged with crimes stemming from the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“Do you defend what Donald Trump did, releasing these people from prison, pardoning them, commuting their sentences? Yes or no?” Acosta asked on Wednesday.
Burchett said that he “was offended as anybody” if rioters were crossing barriers on the historic day but cautioned that many defendants “never even saw their day in court” while sitting in a jail cell.
The congressman added that it was unclear if some of the defendants were truly violent.
“What do you mean you don’t know that? We’re showing the footage on the air right now. Congressman, you were there that day. There are offenders on Jan. 6 who violently beat police officers. There are offenders who are convicted of seditious conspiracy. That is the truth,” the CNN host pushed back.
“This is a political world, Jim,” the Tennessee lawmaker responded. “And I don’t remember you all on CNN condemning Joe Biden for commuting the sentences of murders and child molesters, which he did.”
Acosta insisted the news channel has already “talked about” Biden’s pardons.
“Oh, Jim, you did not,” Burchett shot back.
Acosta and the congressman continued to spar. Burchett said that many of these defendants were “never given due process” and those who trespassed at the Capitol building that day should not “rot in jail for the rest of their lives in a federal penitentiary and never be charged.”
“On several [defendants], he did not release from jail. Why are you not putting the story out on that and saying it’s a blanket?” Burchett argued with the CNN host’s characterization of Trump’s pardons.
Burchett explained that he had constituents, bankers and church people, who left the Capitol area before the riot and the “FBI came to their house, their places of business, and harassed them.”
“This was a political thing from the start. It was a bad day in America,” he said to Acosta.
“Not a political thing. It’s not a political thing. Congressman, they broke the law,” the CNN host replied.
Acosta attempted to suggest the congressman did not “back the blue” in supporting some of the January 6 pardons, to which the lawmaker pointed to law enforcement being killed and attacked under Biden’s presidency.
“Look what happened in the last four years with police. What happened with all the riots that took place all across the country? Police officers were murdered. Courthouses were burned. Over 22 police cars were burned. Yet no one went to jail for that,” Burchett said, adding, “Where are your crocodile tears for that?”
“Why not just say, ‘You were wrong, Mr. President?’ Say it! Why can’t you say it?” Acosta pressed.
The heated clash continued as the discussion turned to the network’s ratings.
“This is not Fox, Congressman. You can‘t just spin a tale and pull the wool over people‘s eyes. This is CNN. This is the news. We are asking you to come on and tell the truth,” Acosta stated.
“And that’s why more people are watching the Cartoon Network SpongeBob reruns right now, Jim,” Burchett clapped back. “Look, I left the White House during a riot. My life was threatened. My life has been threatened within the last few weeks. Yet there’s no coverage of that. And you all continue this — this narrative, attacking Trump. You just can’t stand the fact that he won and that America spoke.”
“Congressman, no. That’s not the case at — that’s not the case at all,” Acosta said.
“Your view is very diminished. And your view is very diminished,” the congressman replied to him.
Social media netizens made the exchange between the CNN host and congressman viral as it circulated Wednesday afternoon.
“Hello, 911? I want to report a drive-by whipping. Congressman @TimBurchett just dropped hammer fists on Jim @Acosta. Can someone check on his condition?” one X user cheered.
“OUCH. @TimBurchett absolutely bodies CNN’s Jim Acosta as the network losing to Spongebob reruns,” media analyst Curtis Houck reacted.
“HOLY SMOKES: Tim Burchett just DEMOLISHED Jim Acosta on CNN over J6 HOAX,” another X user said.
“Just wow. Jim Acosta shows how it’s done. These are questions every anchor must ask,” an Acosta fan said of the interview, to which Acosta reposted on his X account about the exchange.
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“Tim Burchett just ended Jim Acosta’s daytime career,” another netizen replied.
“Legacy media will spend the next four years talking about J6 pardons while their President pardoned pedophiles and murderers. Do not let them lecture you on morality,” Rep. Burchett responded to the clip on his X account.
