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CNN sues Trump, demanding return of Acosta to White House

61 Comments
By DAVID BAUDER

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61 Comments
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As a feminist, it’s distressing to me to see CNN excuse violence against women by one of its reporters.

-15 ( +6 / -21 )

Oh, he was just “trying to keep the mic”......how? by making physical contact to keep it.....and after he was asked to give it to his colleague for their turn. Don’t others have a 1st amendment right to ask their questions?

They even sued the Secret Service guy who was told to take the pass away. Lame.

accusing Acosta of making improper physical contact with the intern seeking to grab the microphone. But that rationale disappeared after witnesses backed Acosta's account that he was just trying to keep the mic

-9 ( +6 / -15 )

it’s distressing to me to see CNN excuse violence against women by one of its reporters.

It would be distressing but it didn't happen. Far more distressing and dangerous is the use and dissemination of doctored footage by the White House and subsequent false narrative repeated by Trumpists.

Acosta did not use violence against the intern. He briefly blocked her with his arm.

Fake news is dangerous - just look at what has happened in India, Nigeria, Mexico and other places.

Those are extremes, sure but the spread of false reporting and making untrue statements contribute to fear and hatred against journalists.

7 ( +13 / -6 )

All of this would go away if Trump had thicker skin.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

It would be distressing but it didn't happen. Far more distressing and dangerous is the use and dissemination of doctored footage by the White House and subsequent false narrative repeated by Trumpists. 

But Acosta is an idiot and most journalists know this, there is no love loss with him gone. CNN could send someone else less asinine, now as to who that would be.....is anyone’s guess.

Acosta did not use violence against the intern. He briefly blocked her with his arm.

And the intern was supposed retrieve them Mike and he blocked her from that, not to mention him constantly being approved overstepping his bounds in cutting off of the journalists in the president has every single right to give him a time out.

Those are extremes, sure but the spread of false reporting and making untrue statements contribute to fear and hatred against journalists.

Doesn’t he journalists he’s the most accessible president ever, he’ll just sit there and give interviews four hours, but he doesn’t like the belligerent once and I totally understand that

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

I remember Obama being interviewed by Fox News puppet/sex-pest Bill O’Reilly. O’Reilly was doing the bidding of his biased fake news MSM bosses and wouldn’t allow Obama to finish a sentence. Obama’s coolness, intelligence and dignity was quite impressive. He was also just too sharp, too nimble and too clever for O’Reilly - he took him to the cleaners.

Trump doesn’t have enough intelligence to act like this.

A ban works best for this very limited man.

11 ( +15 / -4 )

Preventing a long-time news organization is a bad idea for freedom of the press. But President Trump also has some power over who he calls on to ask questions.

They should let Acosta back, just never call on him, until CNN gets the hint and sends someone else.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I remember Obama being interviewed by Fox News puppet/sex-pest Bill O’Reilly. O’Reilly was doing the bidding of his biased fake news MSM bosses and wouldn’t allow Obama to finish a sentence.

Actually that’s not true, Bill O’Reilly has always been the kind a reporter that hates bloviating and if he allowed Obama to say a word he would override him and overtake the conversation and you can’t do that in journalism, that’s an absolute no-no. You should always be in control of the narrative not the person you’re interviewing, especially when you are on a limited timeframe. He was able to have 15 minutes with the President, it means you have to have all your questions prepped and you should be ready to go and you have to factor in the answers that you might get so you don’t have a lot of time so you need to keep it tight. Has nothing to do with sharpie not it has everything to do with doing your job is internal list or allowing the other person to control the narrative and Oreilly wasn’t going to do that, nor should he.

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

Well, Sarah, we all saw and heard what happened.

Life is so unfair to you and President Trump. I hope this nightmare ends very soon for you both. And please take Kellyanne with you.

This is how you fight back against a wannabe dictator like trump. Well done CNN

3 ( +10 / -7 )

All of this would go away if Trump had thicker skin.

Thicker skin? 

The President and his office are of the highest rank in the land,

and visitors are held to a decorum of respect.

CNN's reporter was derailing the press conference,

and his lack of professional regard for the President, in the WH, was off-putting.

It's not about the president needing to adjust his behavior to accommodate.

Come to the event with respect for the office, the country and the president,

or stay home.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Life is so unfair to you and President Trump. I hope this nightmare ends very soon for you both. And please take Kellyanne with you.

After 2024, I’m sure he will.

This is how you fight back against a wannabe dictator like trump. Well done CNN

How? By the way, where is Acosta now??

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

@Bass

Nope, O’Reilly wouldn’t let him finish a sentence.

Your defence of the parts of the biased fake news MSM you like makes your defence of Fox a little questionable.

What did you think of Hannity appearing at a Trump rally?

6 ( +9 / -3 )

I'm no fan of hers, but I would rather see Rachel Maddow replace Acosta...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Jeff Flake will be there after January.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

As a feminist, it’s distressing to me to see CNN excuse violence against women by one of its reporters.

Wait, what? Where? When?

All of this would go away if Trump had thicker skin.

Thicker skin? Its not about "thicker skin"! Its about professionalism, charisma, intelligence and a cool, level headed mentality all of which should come with the title as POTUS, but this president doesn't or can't show any of these traits. Any other president prior (yes , even J "dubuyuh" Bush) had never blatantly slandered a person so brazenly like this orange muppet! He sees himself as the "boss" and everyone else are his employees to whom he can speak to as he likes, do as he likes to anyone (grab 'em by the ^$#@!*). The person is very unfit for the position.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Nope, O’Reilly wouldn’t let him finish a sentence. 

Because Obama is known to take the reins of the conversation and he won’t stop and before you know it the 15 minutes are up and then he gets in trouble for not doing his job because he couldn’t get in the questions that he was supposed to ask, it doesn’t work like that, I interrupt people if this such a tight time schedule, there’s no way I’m going to let them overtake the conversation, it just won’t happen, nor should it happen.

Your defence of the parts of the biased fake news MSM you like makes your defence of Fox a little questionable. 

No I just know how this business works.

What did you think of Hannity appearing at a Trump rally?

Well, I will say this, it is Roger Ailes were still alive there is no way he would’ve allowed that and he probably would’ve suspended him at least for a week or so for that, the same thing happened with the late Tony Snow who got suspended for a week or two weeks because he donated money to Bush’s reelection campaign. I was on the fence about it. But Maddow and Shrapton especially where seen a lot going in and out of the White House, so it’s nothing new, should it be happening, again...I’m on the fence about that one.

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

Currently, The White House has issued 60 hard passes to other CNN employees; all of whom still have them. Acosta abused his privilege to be in that room by 1.) assaulting the female intern and 2.) not surrendering the WH microphone after President Trump ordered him to do so.

Acosta can still report on future press briefings by watching the White House live feed broadcast on CSPAN. He does not have to be in attendance. The court action filed by CNN will go no where and they know it.

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

If you had some obnoxiously argumentative and disruptive reporter attending your own meetings, be them Political or Cooperate, don't you think you'd also wish to bar that Reporter from future meetings in order to allow others a chance to have chance to ask questions ?

I sort of feel sorry for the Intern. She tried her best, and even whilst blocked didn't continue to aggressively try and obtain the microphone - she, for one, showed restraint.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

"All of this would go away if Trump had thicker skin."

You gotta have some pretty thick skin to put up with CNN's and most of the media's nonsense. Sarah Sanders does an admirable job of dealing with these clowns at every press conference.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Imagine if Nixon had tried to ban Dan Rather for asking tough questions. Didn’t happen. And Rather was a hell of a lot more contentious than Acosta.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

If Acosta comes back they should make him wear a hat with a propeller on it.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

So any employed journalist has the right to be present at the White House briefing? Or only Acosta?

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Bye bye, Jim.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

world's greatest democracy? laughable, at best.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

CNN will lose again!

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

SerranoToday  12:07 pm JST

Bye bye, Jim.

It is so funny watching these consevatives wet their pants as their dear leader had to answer a tough question! As if Ann Coulter and Hannity and Limbaugh are angels of coutesy and respect. As one poster noted, Bill O’reilly, aka, wife abuser (wives abuser) won’t let progessives finish a sentence. On a side note, why do you consercatives HATE progress so much, or ideas like headstart, free lunches for school chuldren, disability payments for the blind, weekends, holidays (all progressive ideas)?

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Only those if limited thinking ability believe that this is just about Acosta.

It's about our ruling despot limiting the freedom of press and their ability to ask hard questions.

No doubt if left to the WH, they would limit the conference to asking questions about the flavor of cereals that Barron ate in the morning.

I don't think this will go to trial, the WH has too much to lose.

It sure will be funny if the Judge asks Sarah the source of her edited video.

Lying to a judge is much different from lying to the intellectually challenged Trumpets.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

US politics slowly becoming the media circus that huge swathes of its society long ago became.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

If he behave like Gentleman, then he got it. CNN has problem with spreading rumors and publishing false news worldwide.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

If he behave like Gentleman, then he got it. CNN has problem with spreading rumors and publishing false news worldwide.

Yeah, right! Like Infowars and Breitbart are the last foundations of true reporting, or that joke outfit Fox. Stop carrying water for your oligarchs, chop chop, as they don’t care a flip about you!

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Yeah, right! Like Infowars and Breitbart are the last foundations of true reporting, or that joke outfit Fox.

So what do you recommend?

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

BBC, Deutche Welle, even “Mother Jones” which despite its focus on the poor and the exploited (oh my!) was able to bring to our attention how Mitch Romy is only for the 1 percent. At least there is investigative journalism, like their piece on the hellholes of American prisons. Things you conservatives could give a mouse butt about.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

If I was a lawyer, I would have an office in trump towers

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So any employed journalist has the right to be present at the White House briefing? Or only Acosta?

If they are present, they have the right not to be manhandled by aggressive interns. Luckily he was very modest in exercising his right to self-defence.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

BBC, Deutche Welle, even “Mother Jones”

Ok, so far, far progressive liberal sites, I see.

In that case, i should just stick to Breitbart and Infowars then.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

BBC, Deutche Welle, even “Mother Jones”

Ok, so far, far progressive liberal sites, I see.

The day a high profile BBC presenter goes on stage supporting a politician, left or right, and that staff member wasn’t immediately sacked, will be the day it jumps the shark and should be closed down.

It would have completely shattered any pretense of being a credible news outlet.

A non-partisan like yourself would surely agree.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

The day a high profile BBC presenter goes on stage supporting a politician, left or right, and that staff member wasn’t immediately sacked,

Give me a break the BPC is a very well let’s just say it is not conservative network by any stretch of the meaning, not even close to being fair. But I do love their documentaries, great stuff., other than that....

A non-partisan like yourself would surely agree.

Yes, I stopped watching their news broadcast back in 1992.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Luckily he was very modest in exercising his right to self-defence.

But you have no right to 'defend' yourself against someone exercising self-help to get their property back. What Acosta did was a battery. The only test being whether he touched someone without their consent. It was mild, but it was a battery nonetheless.

This is not a political statement or opinion. It's a fact recognised by the reality based community.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

CNN would seem to be on strong legal ground, said Katie Fallow, senior staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute. During the Nixon administration in the 1970s, the Secret Service tried to deny credentials to a reporter from the Nation magazine because he had been involved in physical altercations, but was overruled by the D.C. circuit court, she said.

I'd be curious to know if the altercations in the Nixon case occurred at or during the press briefing and whether the briefing itself was disrupted, as was the case with Acosta. If it occured outside of the briefing and the reporter was otherwise reasonably well behaved during the briefing, it would obviously be inappropriate to ban him. Acosta is significantly different though. If Acosta had successfully held on to the microphone and kept talking for 10, 15 or 30 mins, would it still be unconstitutional to cancel his press pass? At some point there must be a line that even reporters cannot cross and expect to still be constitutionally protected. I think Acosta was well over that line.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The day a high profile BBC presenter goes on stage supporting a politician, left or right, and that staff member wasn’t immediately sacked, 

Give me a break

No need to give you a break. Address the issue.

If a BBC presenter appeared on stage with a politician, ripping into other news organizations, he or she would be sacked, there would be uproar and rightly so. There is no way the public broadcaster in the UK could get away with partisan crap like that. Fox can do it. It’s not a public broadcaster and its viewers like partisan crap. I doubt even an employeee of CNN, a network with a clear anti-Trump bias, would try a stunt like that.

If you think the BBC would try that, you are living cloud ROFL land.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Hilarious to see words like battery being used without an understanding of what it actually means.

The intern tried to grab the phone from Acosta resulting in the brief physical contact, even the doctored video shows that.

I would love for this to be taken to court. Acosta might be a showboat but thats not a crime. But lying to the court is a crime and we'll see if any of the Trumpets have the courage to repeat their lies in front of a judge.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Trump is rude all the time and you guys love it. I'm not sure how credible you can be complaining that someone else is being rude.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

How can anyone defend the lies the White House is spouting about this incident. No assault happened.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Trump should be given a medal for tolerating Acosta for almost 2 years.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Trump should be given a medal for tolerating Acosta for almost 2 years

Hannity can be there to hold his hand.

No links to Hannity today?

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Actually that’s not true, Bill O’Reilly has always been the kind a reporter that hates bloviating and if he allowed Obama to say a word he would override him and overtake the conversation and you can’t do that in journalism, that’s an absolute no-no

So it's okay for a journalist to act like an arse towards a presidentvwhen the journalist is conservative and the president is liberal. Got it.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Yes, I stopped watching their news broadcast back in 1992.

Funny, that’s the date you’ve told us you did your internship at Fox News. Seems like it’s a conflict of interest to attack points of view which don’t come directly from your boss, but hey, who am I to judge? I’m not a former journalist, after all.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Acosta has on numerous occasions engaged in persistent bickering and arguing with the president. He has on numerous occasions interrupted other reporters who'd been called on to ask questions. He constantly tries to hog the time and the mike, apparently thinking that WH press conferences are his own personal, exclusive interview.

Alas, one of this was cited as reason for withdrawing his press pass. It was a result of a non-existent assault cooked up entirely by the bird brain president and smokey-brain Sanders.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

*none

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Acosta is now on the sidelines looking in,with himself to blame........

2 ( +3 / -1 )

HakmanNov. 14  11:15 pm JST

CNN has at least three dozen other reporters with White House credentials. Their credentials have not been yanked because, unlike Acosta, they actually follow the rules.

Acosta has on numerous occasions engaged in persistent bickering and arguing with the president. He has on numerous occasions interrupted other reporters who'd been called on to ask questions. He constantly tries to hog the time and the mike, apparently thinking that WH press conferences are his own personal, exclusive interview.

Ah, Hackman, if Trump can’t take an energetic, go-get-him reporter (who was asking a serious question about Trumps collision with Russia, and perhaps traitorous behavior), how is he going to handle anything more serious, like......HIS wife who is nagging him about Bolton’s right-hand man. You see, I missed the memo about a slovak wife (IMMIGRANT! Bring her FAMILY in) being able to fill and have a say about white house staffing! Don’t ever recall Obama’s wife doing this.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

ulysses - Hilarious to see words like battery being used without an understanding of what it actually means.

The intern tried to grab the phone from Acosta resulting in the brief physical contact, even the doctored video shows that.

I would love for this to be taken to court. Acosta might be a showboat but thats not a crime. But lying to the court is a crime and we'll see if any of the Trumpets have the courage to repeat their lies in front of a judge.

Acosta hit a woman who was only trying to do her job. What you referred to as, "resulting in the brief physical contact, even the doctored video shows that".

Legally-speaking, in the U.S., battery is the actual, intentional and unlawful touching or striking of another person against the will of the other. Which describes Acosta's action against a woman.

Acosta hit a woman who was only trying to do her job. CNNSUX lawyers will have a difficult defending Acosta's physical battery of a woman who was only trying to do her job.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Acosta hit a woman who was only trying to do her job.

Not true

in the U.S., battery is the actual, intentional and unlawful touching or striking of another person against the will of the other.

So can we charge the intern, because it looks like she initiated it, trying to snatch the mike away from Acosta.

Acosta hit a woman who was only trying to do her job. 

A lie if told twice doesn't become the truth.

CNNSUX lawyers will have a difficult defending Acosta's physical battery of a woman who was only trying to do her job.

There's a reason they have a bar exam, you need to understand the law before making arguments.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Not true

Did he or did he not make physical contact with her? What, in your opinion, is the test for battery?

So can we charge the intern, because it looks like she initiated it, trying to snatch the mike away from Acosta.

No, because someone excercising their right to self-help is allowed to use reasonable force to recover their property.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Did he or did he not make physical contact with her?

Did she or did she not make a physical contact with him?

 self-help

Seriously !!!!!!

recover their property.

I didn't realize she owned the mike, if she does and he refused to return it to her there is an argument.

I remember Acosta said 'Pardon me Ma'am when the contact happened. Did you see that on video or was that also edited out.

What, in your opinion, is the test for battery?

That you don't understand that word.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Did she or did she not make a physical contact with him?

She did. When he lowered his arm onto hers.

Seriously !!!!!!

Yes, seriously. It's called recaption. Look it up. You have the right to use reasonable force to regain posession of your property. It's the proprietary version of self-defence.

I didn't realize she owned the mike, if she does and he refused to return it to her there is an argument.

The US government owns the mic. She is clearly an employee/servant acting on the owner's behalf.

That you don't understand that word.

You claim I don't understand the word battery. I've asked you for a definition. Please provide it for everyone's benefit. I need it to pass the bar exam.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

She did.

Case closed.

You have the right to use reasonable force to regain posession of your property.

There is a fundamental lack of understanding of even the basic concepts of law here, so I will not bother to reply.

I need it to pass the bar exam.

If you sue to get your tuition fee back, you might have a strong case.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

There is a fundamental lack of understanding of even the basic concepts of law here, so I will not bother to reply.

You did bother to reply, but you refuse to provide a definition because you can't rationally defend your position.

Unlike Ulysses, I will paste the Black's law dictionary definition of the self-help remedy of recaption for everyone's benefit:

A retaking, or taking back. A species of remedy by the mere act of the party injured, (otherwise termed “reprisal,”) which happens when any one has deprived another of his property in goods or chattels personal, or wrongfully detains one’s wife, child, or servant. In this case, the owner of the goods, and the husband, parent, or master may lawfully claim and retake them, wherever he happens to find them, so it be not in a riotous manner, or attended with a breach of the peace. 3 Inst. 134; 3 Bl. Comm. 4; 3 Steph. Comm. 358; Prigg v. Pennsylvania. 16 Pet. 613, 10 L. Ed. 1060.

https://thelawdictionary.org/recaption/

What the mic personal chattels? Yes. Was the intern's attempt to retake the mic riotous? No, it was a perfectly reasonable use of force. Did it result in a breach of the peace? No.

Acosta, on the otherhand, had no lawful excuse for holding onto the mic or touching the intern. Of course, you can argue that it was hard for him to avoid contact once she did what she did, but that is the risk you run when you decide to unlawfully deprive someone of their property after they've ask for it to be returned.

I'm no Trump supporter by the way. These are simply the facts.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

 so it be not in a riotous manner, or attended with a breach of the peace

Allow me to demonstrate what's learned at law school and necessary for passing a bar exam:

M3 has no idea what a breach of the peace is. The intern lunging at Acosta was an assault, which is a breach of the peace. We would need the specific D.C. statute defining a breach of the peace and caselaw thereunder to be completely certain, but since M3 wants to armchair this, I'd say we can call this good enough.

Additionally, M3 is presuming that Acosta's license to maintain possession of the mic was properly revoked before the intern aggressively lunged at him. Again, we'd need to know the specific statute from D.C. and caselaw thereunder, but I've sufficiently made my point.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

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