Whispers about Acosta, who became known for his confrontations with President Donald Trump during his first term, became louder closer to Trump’s second inauguration. The move comes as the network reportedly plans to lay off hundreds of employees as the cable channel shifts focus to digital subscription products.
Acosta claimed that the highlight of his time at CNN was not covering Trump but rather covering former President Barack Obama’s trip to Cuba.
“As the son of a Cuban refugee, I took home this lesson: It is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant,” Acosta said in a veiled jab at Trump. “I have always believed it’s the job of the press to hold power to account. I’ve always tried to do that here at CNN, and I plan on doing all of that in the future. One final message: Don‘t give in to the lies, don‘t give in to the fear. Hold on to the truth and to hope. Even if you have to get out your phone, record that message. I will not give in to the lies. I will not give in to the fear. Post it on your social media so people can hear from you too. I’ll have more to say about my plans in the coming days, but until then, I want to thank all of you for tuning in. It has been an honor to be welcomed into your home for all these years. That’s the news.”
Acosta was reportedly asked to move his show, CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta, which airs at 10 a.m., to a two-hour slot beginning at midnight. Part of that deal would have allowed him to host to host that show from Los Angeles. A network spokesperson denied comment to the Washington Examiner earlier this month on the possible programming shift.
Ahead of Acosta’s announcement, Trump took a victory lap that “one of the worst and most dishonest reporters” had been relegated to the midnight hour and that it would be “even better” for Acosta to quit. The president also wished the anchor luck but added that he would fail “no matter where he ends up.”
Acosta also teased his announcement on social media. “Joining me to discuss the day’s news: Rep. @rosadelauro @RepMikeQuigley @evanperez and Dr. William Schaffner plus… please tune in for some final thoughts at the end of today’s show,” Acosta’s post on X reads. “See you soon.”
Back with you at 10a eastern/7 pacific. Joining me to discuss the day’s news: Rep. @rosadelauro @RepMikeQuigley @evanperez and Dr. William Schaffner plus… please tune in for some final thoughts at the end of today’s show. See you soon.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 28, 2025
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As for what may be next, Acosta launched a Substack account on Jan. 16, with a post simply reading “coming soon” In addition, he reposted a video on X featuring Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz following the team’s loss on Sunday to the Philadelphia Eagles saying he does not know “what the future holds” but that he knows for a fact that he is “not retiring.”
Zach Ertz: “I don’t know what the future holds. I still want to play football next year. I just want to make that clear that I’m not retiring.” pic.twitter.com/WcBzLo3adP
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 27, 2025
The shift of Acosta’s show comes as CNN is looking to move longtime anchor Wolf Blitzer to the morning time slot. Blitzer’s show, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, airs at 6 p.m.
