CNN anchor Jim Acosta criticized President Donald Trump during his final show on CNN, telling viewers, “This is not the time to give in to a tyrant!” Acosta announced he is leaving CNN after nearly 18 years.
CNN CEO Mark Thompson and the network revealed major changes this week, including Acosta’s likely departure. Some see this as giving in to Trump. Thompson called it a “shift” to focus on where audiences are moving.
Mediaite learned that Acosta decided to leave after thinking carefully about his options. He didn’t want to host a late-night show in Los Angeles because he felt it would send the wrong message to journalists and didn’t want to appear to be supporting Trump.
On his last show, Acosta thanked his team and viewers. He said his career highlight wasn’t covering Trump but questioning Cuban leader Raul Castro about political prisoners during President Obama’s 2016 trip to Cuba. As the son of a Cuban refugee, Acosta said it’s never right to bow to a tyrant.
He emphasized the importance of the press holding power accountable and urged viewers to stand up for truth and hope. He encouraged people to share the message, “I will not give in to fear!” on social media.
Acosta thanked his audience for their support over the years and promised to share more about his future plans soon. He signed off from Washington, ending his time at CNN.
CNN thanked Acosta in a statement from a spokesperson:
“Jim has had a long, distinguished nearly 20-year career at CNN, with a track record of standing up to authority, for the first amendment and for our journalistic freedoms. We want to thank him for the dedication and commitment he’s brought to his reporting and wish him the very best in the future.”
