CNN star Jim Acosta has been blasted for holding up a placard hailing his own achievements live on-air.
The 53-year-old, who rose to national attention for frequently clashing with President-elect Donald Trump, waved the placard live on air on Thursday.
Prior to doing so, he spoke directly to viewers about freedom of the press, saying: ‘[President Biden] warned the free press is crumbling in this country, I would add that’s only if we the people let that happen.
‘Journalists exist to seek the truth, to tell people stories, to lift up voices that may not be heard otherwise.
‘To shine a light on injustice and hold the powerful accountable, we are not the enemy of the people we are the defender of the people.’
The 53-year-old then held up a bright pink sign that reads: ‘I march for Jim Acosta and a free press.’
Acosta added: ‘A woman sent me a sign eight years ago, she carried here at a march in Washington.
‘She wrote on the back of the sign to me and the press here in DC, “you have our support”. To Nora, wherever you are, right back at ya.’
The 53-year-old, who rose to national prominence for frequently clashing with President-elect Donald Trump, waved the placard live on air on Thursday
Acosta has been attacked over the clip that he shared on Thursday, with those on both sides of the political spectrum having a go at him.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald, shared the clip and added: ‘This nakedly partisan b**** really does think he’s the Conscience of America.
‘Never seen a more self-important, sanctimonious blow hard in my entire life. And no, I’ll never get over the fact that he wrote a book bought by dumb liberals where he depicted himself as endangered.’
Another person added: ‘You are not “we the people”. You represent an industry that is more interested in pushing a viewpoint.
‘Until you start serving “we the people”, you should continue to slide into irrelevance.’
One other posted: ‘There is no one in this country who’s interested in what you have to say. Sorry dude.’
‘You speaking about the free press while embracing the Left’s censorship over the last few years is peak irony’, another said.
The book that Greenwald referred to was released by Acosta in 2019 and titled ‘The Enemy of the People: A Dangerous Time to Tell the Truth in America’.
Acosta has been attacked over the clip that he shared on Thursday, with those on both sides of the political spectrum having a go at him
A White House intern reaches for and tries to take away the microphone held by CNN correspondent Jim Acosta
In it, he described conversations he had with Trump’s then Communications Director Hope Hicks are the president branded him ‘very fake news’ in a 2017 interaction.
The reporter said in his account that Hicks called him and said Trump wanted him to know he was ‘very professional today’ after the incident.
Acosta’s heated back-and-forth with Trump went viral, and resulted in Trump telling him to ‘sit down’, while aides wrestled the mic from his hands.
Trump said: ‘CNN should be ashamed of itself having you work for them. You are a rude terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN.’
The comments Acosta had been referring to by Biden in his piece to camera on Thursday had stemmed from the outgoing-president’s farewell address.
Biden said there was a ‘dangerous concentration of power’ and added that the ‘free press is crumbling.
‘Editors are disappearing, social media is giving up on fact-checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit.’
In his speech, which lasted about 20 minutes, Biden didn’t mention Trump by name but said he ‘wished the incoming administration’s success because I want America to succeed.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .