Self-Absorbed Jim Acosta Gets Brand New Gig To Bash President Trump
CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent, Jim Acosta, has now joined the ranks of those who have upped their President Donald Trump-bashing game. Like many have done, he is writing a book targeting the commander in chief.
Often accused of being a purveyor of “fake news,” Acosta has come up with an ironic title for his book: “The Enemy of the People: A Dangerous Time to Tell the Truth in America.”
We are not the enemy of the people. And the truth is worth the fight… more coming soon… https://t.co/SpjoSBO2oD pic.twitter.com/QMoEuUSr4g
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 24, 2019
A news release by Harper Collins, the book’s publisher, painted quite the picture of Acosta’s time thus far reporting on the Trump White House. In some parts, it even elevated Acosta to the status of a champion of truth.
“Jonathan Burnham, President & Publisher of Harper, says, ‘Jim Acosta’s account of his experience as CNN’S Chief White House Correspondent takes the reader into the world of reporters who are seeking accuracy and openness in a time when the freedom of the press is under threat. As the target of persistent attacks from the Trump White House, his narrative is required reading,’” the release read.
“Going inside the briefing room and onto Air Force One with the White House press corps, Acosta reveals the conversations, battles, and near-constant conflict that define life for a media working to hold the Trump administration accountable for its actions and its words. He details never-before-revealed stories of this White House’s rejection of truth, while laying out the stakes for how Trump’s hostility toward facts poses an unprecedented threat to our democracy.”
But that isn’t all that was interesting about the sales pitch from the publisher. The news release also held up Acosta’s time reporting on the Trump administration as something akin to that of a war correspondent.
One example reads, “Jim Acosta unveils the chaotic first two years of the Trump administration detailing, for the first time, his view from the frontlines of Trump’s relentless war on the media.” Another example is found in the statement that “Acosta, a veteran of reporting on four administrations, presents a damning vision of bureaucratic dysfunction, deception, and danger, offering a fly on the wall view of the White House communications during one of the most dramatic and contentious, but consequential, times in the country’s history.”
But perhaps the best example of both the champion of truth and war correspondent status came from Acosta, himself: “This sobering, bewildering, and sometimes frightening experience has made it absolutely clear that this is a dangerous time to tell the truth in America. The president and his team, not to mention some of his supporters, have attempted to silence the press in ways we have never seen before.”
Getting ready to bring some #realnews to @colbertlateshow with @StephenAtHome #nottheenemy pic.twitter.com/a63TcxU92e
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) August 8, 2018
He continued, “As just about everybody has seen, I have witnessed this first hand. As difficult as that challenge may be for the free press in America, we must continue to do our jobs and report the news. The truth is worth the fight.”
Acosta has been working on the book for more than a year, The Associated Press reported. The financial terms for the book deal have not yet been publicly revealed.
However, NBC News reported that bids for the book written by former FBI director James Comey exceeded $2 million. That is just the book advance money.
Once a book is published, authors may receive royalties. In Comey’s case, pre-orders drove it to be ranked at the number two spot on Amazon’s best seller’s list at one point, The Hill reported. This kind of thing can quickly add to the millions Trump-bashing authors can receive.
Some on social media have joked that Acosta’s book should be titled, “Dear Diary.” The joke is a reference to the social media mocking aimed at tweets Acosta makes about Trump and his experiences reporting on the current administration.
What is also notable is that the left is not criticizing Acosta, a reporter, for writing such a book. If a reporter who was constantly at odds with President Barack Obama had written a book that bashed him while he was the sitting president, would they have applauded it as “truth” or “free speech”? Or would they have attacked the reporter for inappropriate behavior and bias?
Can a White House correspondent actually claim, with any credibility, to be a purveyor of truth, while simultaneously writing a book that heavily attacks the very people he is supposed to impartially report about? Jim Acosta appears to think so.
That kind of attitude is part of the problem with the establishment media as a whole. That kind of sentiment is why, at least in part, so many Americans call Acosta and establishment media “fake news.”
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