Trump unloads on CNN journalist Jim Acosta: 'You are a rude, terrible person'
President Donald Trump's ongoing feud with CNN journalist Jim Acosta boiled over on Wednesday, with Trump calling Acosta "a rude, terrible person" as he tried to ask the president a question.
The exchange came during a White House press conference on the 2018 midterm elections, in which Trump called out failed Republican candidates who didn't "embrace" him.
Trump began taking questions and called on Acosta, who tried to ask about the president's characterization of a migrant caravan of roughly 4,000 Central American immigrants who are walking through Mexico to claim asylum in the U.S.
Trump immediately interrupted Acosta as the journalist began to ask his question. "Here we go," Trump said to Acosta.
BREAKING: President Trump, CNN Correspondent Jim Acosta and @NBCNews Correspondent @PeterAlexander engage in tense exchanges in post-election news conference. pic.twitter.com/WUlXemGn7y
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 7, 2018
Acosta then challenged Trump's usage of the word "invasion" to describe the caravan and asked the president if he thought he had demonized immigrants. Trump hen said he wanted immigrants to "come in legally."
When the president tried to go to another journalist, Acosta declined to give up the microphone and asked about possible indictments by special counsel Robert Mueller based on the ongoing investigation into Trump's presidential campaign.
Trump told Acosta to "put down the mic" and a White House staffer attempted to take the mic from the CNN correspondent it but he wouldn't give it up.
Acosta finally relinquished the mic and sat down, but Trump then began to verbally berate him from the podium.
"CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them," Trump said. "You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn't be working for CNN."
Trump added that the way Acosta had treated Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was "awful."
The president then moved to address the next questioner, NBC News White House correspondent Peter Alexander, who defended Acosta.
"In Jim's defense, I've traveled with him and watched him, he's a diligent reporter who busts his butt like the rest of us," Alexander said.
"Well I'm not a big of yours either," Trump said.
