Well, that was fast. Jim Acosta, the self-styled warrior of the anti-Trump resistance, has officially parted ways with CNN—swiftly and, by all accounts, unceremoniously. After 18 years of turning press briefings into personal showdowns and using his perch at CNN to grandstand against conservatives, Acosta is out. The timing? Suspicious. The reaction? Predictable. And the implications? Well, let’s just say this move signals a realignment at CNN that has the left-wing media in a full-blown meltdown.
Acosta announced his departure at the end of his 10 a.m. show on Tuesday, barely giving his audience time to process the news before he was gone. He claimed CNN had offered him a new timeslot—reportedly midnight, the graveyard shift of television—but he decided to walk instead. That, in itself, speaks volumes.
I will not give in to the lies.
I will not give in to the fear.
I will not normalize insanity.
I will not ignore cruelty.Thank you for your integrity, @Acosta. I have loved being your @cnn colleague and friend. Good luck with your next chapter. pic.twitter.com/a3ofl1U31S
— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) January 28, 2025
A CNN insider told Fox News Digital, “Him leaving isn’t unexpected given the reporting. Him leaving so fast is what was unexpected.”
Translation: We all knew Acosta was on the chopping block, but even CNN staffers didn’t expect the network to rip the Band-Aid off this quickly.
To make matters worse (or, perhaps, better), Acosta couldn’t resist getting in one last dig at Trump on his way out the door, warning viewers, “It is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant.” The only problem? Nobody at CNN was listening. His exit barely registered with his former colleagues, many of whom shrugged and went on with their day. As one staffer bluntly put it: “Look, I think folks liked Jim. But Cuomo went and CNN moved on. Lemon left and CNN moved on.”
Ouch.
Naturally, Donald Trump had something to say about Acosta’s downfall, calling his exit “really good news!” and labeling him “one of the worst and most dishonest reporters in journalistic history.” The former president, never one to mince words, went on to say that Acosta had been relegated to “Death Valley” because of his “extraordinarily BAD RATINGS (and no talent!).”
Thank you @Acosta. Thank you for your principled journalism. Shame on you @CNN. Shame on you. CNN, you abandoned your duty to hold ALL public officials accountable. You caved to the crybaby in the White House. Shame on you CNN. And if I’m ever on CNN again, I will say every word… https://t.co/CMwIQq2X1K
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) January 28, 2025
Acosta fired back, mocking Trump with a juvenile “Acosta Derangement Syndrome” jab, but let’s be honest—when a president you’ve built your entire career opposing celebrates your downfall, you’ve lost the fight.
Acosta’s fanbase, including the usual chorus of former politicians and left-wing commentators, wasted no time accusing CNN of “caving to Trump.” Former GOP congressman Joe Walsh raged on X, “Shame on you, CNN! You caved to the crybaby in the White House.”
Al Franken chimed in with a similar take, suggesting CNN was now in Trump’s pocket: “Acosta was a pain in Trump’s side during his first term. Looks like CNN is caving to the White House.”
This tells you everything you need to know about how the left views CNN. To them, it wasn’t just a news network—it was supposed to be the official opposition to Trump. And now that it’s making moves to soften its approach, the activist class feels abandoned.
So, was Acosta’s departure really about ideology? Many of his former CNN colleagues seem to think so. They argue that new CNN CEO Mark Thompson wanted to dial back the network’s “too anti-Trump” reputation—especially with Trump’s second term now a reality. That makes sense. CNN spent years losing credibility by turning into an anti-Trump propaganda machine, and Thompson likely sees an opportunity to recalibrate before the 2024 election cycle kicks into high gear.
Jim Acosta is leaving CNN after the network offered him a midnight time slot. Acosta was a pain in Trump’s side during his first term. Looks like CNN is caving to the White House.https://t.co/CMGuWeQvh2
— Al Franken (@alfranken) January 28, 2025
Of course, it’s also possible that Acosta’s ratings were simply awful. Even left-leaning media observers have noted that CNN’s hyper-partisan coverage has driven away viewers. And if Acosta couldn’t deliver numbers, then what, exactly, was the point of keeping him around?
Within hours of his final CNN broadcast, Acosta resurfaced on Substack, promising that “The Jim Acosta Show” is coming soon. In his farewell message, he vowed, “To President Trump and his allies, you may think you have silenced me. But guess again.”
Right. Because nothing says “I’m still relevant” like running a subscription blog and competing with the thousands of other ousted left-wing pundits doing the exact same thing.
