Staff Reports
Jim Acosta has made headlines again, but this time it’s not his hair that’s catching attention—it’s his departure from CNN. After finding himself staring down the barrel of a graveyard shift, Acosta decided to rage-quit, marking his exit with all the drama one might expect from the man best known for his antagonistic encounters with former President Donald Trump.
Acosta achieved his notoriety during Trump’s first term, where he thrived on the chaos of the daily press briefings. Once Trump’s presidency came to an end, however, it became painfully clear that Acosta’s antics had grown stale—like a day-old donut in a third-rate bakery. With Trump 47 stepping onto the political scene, Acosta’s role as the network’s resident Trump antagonist was rendered utterly pointless, prompting viewers to wonder why he remained employed for so long. Apparently, CNN decided to formalize his irrelevance by offering him a midnight slot, which is about as appealing as volunteering to clean out the leftover sandwiches from the breakroom fridge.
The 5 Embarrassing Jim Acosta Clips That Cement His Legacy as a Media Hack and Complete Fraud: It’s not even clear if Acosta has anywhere to go. https://t.co/dnjxpUE0OR pic.twitter.com/tq1A2N4NNp
— The Western Journal (@WestJournalism) January 29, 2025
In what seems to be the last gasp of a career that peaked during the Trump presidency, Acosta whined about the indignities of his new assignment, claiming it was crucial for the press to hold the powerful accountable. Funny enough, those in the know know Acosta has spent much of his time doing anything but reporting truthfully. One has to wonder if he truly believed he was holding anyone accountable, or if it was more about squeezing ratings out of partisan melodrama. Perhaps he should have picked up on the lesson: the truth tends to lose its appeal when spun repeatedly like a yarn at a knitting party.
There was no shortage of irony as Acosta signed off his career with a plea for viewers to “hold on to the truth.” This from a guy known for trotting out debunked claims about Trump and completely misrepresenting his statements. Social media users wasted no time sharing clips featuring Acosta’s finest moments of fabricated outrage, such as his insistence that Trump labeled Charlottesville protestors as “very fine people.” One might wonder if he should have taken his own advice instead of winding up in a loop of self-parody, proving yet again that Acosta embodies the saying about the pot calling the kettle black.
While he’s likely pondering his next move—which could range from a gig at a liberal think tank to a permanent residence at the local karaoke bar—his legacy at CNN is secure. It’s indeed a rare feat to turn out such a collection of cringe-worthy moments that often seem scripted for a bad satirical skit rather than the domain of serious journalism. As the internet celebrates this shaky farewell, it’s clear that Acosta may have failed his calling in truth-telling, but he succeeded spectacularly in providing endless fodder for laughs.
With Acosta now in the rearview mirror, questions linger about where he goes from here. The Babylon Bee or a late-night talk show might be his best bets, where his brand of humor—explicitly centered around self-importance and bluster—might resonate better. Jim Acosta leaves behind a mixed legacy: a maestro of misinformation and a cautionary tale of what happens when anger replaces accountability in journalism. At least one group stands to benefit from his departure: those who relish a hearty laugh at the expense of an erstwhile journalist who forgot the golden rule—when it comes to news, less bias and more truth is always a winning formula.
