BREAKING: Jim Acosta is OUT at CNN: report

Oliver Darcy's Status News was the first to report the news:

"The anchor, I’m told, signaled to associates in private conversations over the weekend that he intends to depart the network after its chief executive, Mark Thompson, booted him from the morning programming lineup — a move that conspicuously coincided with Donald Trump’s return to power.

"CNN brass, as we first reported earlier this month, decided to strip Acosta of his 10am show, which he has anchored to great ratings success over the last 11 months, at times even seeing higher viewership than programs in the channel’s prime time bloc. Acosta was instead offered the less-than-desirable option of anchoring a show from midnight until 2am ET. CNN pitched the gig to Acosta as anchoring during prime time on the West Coast and said he could move to Los Angeles to host the program. But the reality is the program would have aired at a time in which cable news viewership is at its lowest levels."

“They want to get rid of Acosta to throw a bone to Trump,” Darcy's source told him. “Midnight is not a serious offer when his ratings are among the best on the network.”

Acosta became a household name during Donald Trump’s first term as CNN’s chief White House correspondent, frequently agressively arguing with the president. Trump often criticized both Acosta and CNN’s coverage, leading to heated exchanges at press conferences and public events.

At one point, the White House even attempted to revoke Acosta’s press credentials, prompting a legal battle that CNN won, with a federal judge ruling that the administration must reinstate his press pass.

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