CNN’s Jim Acosta, an irritant to Trump, says he’s quitting rather than take a late-night time slot

CNN’s Jim Acosta speaks to journalists on the North Lawn upon returning back to the White House in Washington, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

CNN anchor Jim Acosta, known for his tough questions to President Donald Trump, has decided to leave the network. He turned down an offer for a late-night time slot.

Acosta made his announcement on Tuesday, ending his one-hour morning show. He urged viewers, “Don’t give in to the lies. Don’t give in to the fear.”

While he didn’t directly mention Trump, the message was clear. CNN said moving Acosta to a midnight slot was not about politics.

Just before Acosta’s announcement, Trump tweeted that Acosta leaving was good news. Trump called Acosta a “major loser” on Truth Social.

CNN had planned to move Wolf Blitzer into Acosta’s 10 a.m. slot, with Pamela Brown. They offered Acosta a midnight slot and a move to Los Angeles. His show would air at 9 p.m. and also on CNN International.

But Acosta, with 18 years at CNN, declined the offer.

Reflecting on his career

Acosta said covering Trump was not the highlight of his career. He mentioned covering former President Barack Obama’s trip to Cuba in 2016. He asked Cuban leader Raul Castro about political prisoners.

“As the son of a Cuban refugee, I took home the lesson (that) it is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant,” Acosta said. “I have always believed it’s the job of the press to hold power to account. I’ve always tried to do that at CNN and plan to go on doing it in the future.”

He ended with a message: “don’t give in to the lies. Don’t give in to the fear. Hold on to the truth. And to hope.”

CNN praised Acosta’s career, saying he stood up for the First Amendment and journalistic freedoms. They wished him the best for the future.

Trump and Acosta had a tense relationship during Trump’s first term. The White House briefly suspended Acosta’s press pass in 2018. Acosta tried to keep questioning Trump after the president said “that’s enough!”