Trump calls CNN’s Jim Acosta ‘nice guy’ after refusing to take his question at press conference

President Trump on Saturday called CNN’s Jim Acosta “a nice guy,” a day after refusing to take his question at a press event.

“So funny! I just checked out Fake News CNN, for the first time in a long time (they are dying in the ratings), to see if they covered my takedown yesterday of Jim Acosta (actually a nice guy). They didn’t! But they did say I already lost in my meeting with Putin. Fake News,” Trump tweeted.

The Friday exchange between the president and Acosta occurred during the press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May.

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After Trump called NBC, “possibly worse than CNN,” over a question about Russian President Vladimir Putin, Acosta said, “since you attacked CNN, can I ask you a question?”

“I don’t take questions from CNN. CNN is fake news,” Trump responded. “John Roberts of Fox. Let’s go to a real network. John, let’s go.”

Roberts went on to ask his question.

However, later, “some reporters on Twitter criticized Roberts for allowing Trump to move on so easily after steamrolling CNN,” notes Politico.

Roberts issued a statement in the wake of the criticism.

“In today’s press conference, I paused while my colleague from CNN went back and forth with President Trump over a question. When it became clear that the president wasn’t going to entertain a question from him, I proceeded with my question, as did my fellow colleagues in the press corps,” Roberts said. “I know Kristen Welker of NBC. She is honest as the day is long. For the President to call her dishonest is unfair. I also used to work at CNN. There are some fine journalists who work there and risk their lives to report on stories around the world. To issue a blanket condemnation of the network as ‘fake news’ is also unfair.”