CNN anchor Jim Acosta was offered a graveyard shift at the network to banish him to “the Siberia of television news” as Donald Trump returns to the presidency, a former CNN media reporter wrote Thursday.
Acosta, a notable Trump antagonist who had his White House press credential suspended temporarily during the president-elect’s first term, was caught “off guard” by chief executive Mark Thompson’s proposal, Oliver Darcy reported in his “Status” newsletter.
The move from Acosta’s current 10 a.m. Eastern time slot to between midnight and 2 a.m. would accommodate reported changes ahead in the news network’s schedule, according to Darcy. The CNN alum previously reported, along with other outlets, that Wolf Blitzer was moving to mornings as part of a shake-up.
CNN’s average viewership dropped a whopping 49% between Election Day and near the end of 2024, Deadline reported on Dec. 31.
But the “CNN Newsroom With Jim Acosta” star may be contending with other forces as well.
“Sidelining Acosta would also work to curry favor with Donald Trump, who very much despises the CNN anchor,” Darcy wrote.
Darcy said he spoke to one media executive who told him, “They want to get rid of Acosta to throw a bone to Trump.”
We Need Your Support
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
CNN did not immediately return a HuffPost request for comment.