Tragic Details That Have Come Out About CNN's Jim Acosta

CNN's Jim Acosta famously got in Trump's bad books for repeatedly asking questions at a press conference in 2018. Trump refused to engage with him, even banning him from the White House for a time. Acosta likely doesn't see Trump's hatred as a tragedy, but some of what was said about him by other news outlets in wake of the feud may have stung a little. 

While NBC journalist Peter Alexander jumped to Acosta's defense after Trump referred to him as a "Very rude person," not everyone was quite as complimentary. Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Michael Goodwin, for one, accused the journalist of bashing Trump unnecessarily and taking up too much time for his questions. "He should not have the right to hijack a presidential press conference to suit his own ego," Goodwin wrote in the New York Post. Across the pond, BBC journalist Emily Maitlis (who was involved in bringing Prince Andrew's shady side to light), shared a similar sentiment. Pointing out that Trump's reaction had been based in part on Acosta's continued questions, Maitlis wrote, "What happened in that room was not the ultimate fight for press freedom ... This was a bloke sitting in a room full of colleagues who were all trying to ask questions too." Ouch. 

Of course, it's possible Acosta wasn't bothered, because he's had to cope with far more difficult tragedies than some shade from his coworkers.

While Jim Acosta's feelings about his colleagues' criticisms is up for debate, one thing he certainly didn't hold back on was expressing his grief after CNN commentator Alice Stewart passed away. As many will know, Stewart was one of many celebs who died in 2024, and she and Acosta had been very close. 

Speaking to Jessica Dean on "CNN Newsroom," Acosta shared, "I'm really heartbroken over this. Alice was a friend. She wasn't just a panelist or an expert. I loved her so much, and she and I got to be friends back in the 2012 campaign." He went on to add that despite having differences in opinion, he and Stewart had always managed to keep their conversations respectful — something he attributed to her kindness and the positivity she'd bring to set. Heartbreakingly, Acosta's voice cracked towards the end of his interview, as he said, "It does, you know, remind me of, you know, what we are told, that God takes the good ones early — and I'm going to miss her."

Acosta was equally as candid when he spoke of his friend's passing on Instagram. "My heart is broken over the passing of our dear colleague Alice Stewart," he wrote. Hopefully he's been able to find peace in the time since. 

A few months after Alice Stewart's passing, Jim Acosta faced another major difficulty. As was widely reported in January 2025, he was one of the many CNN anchors to have been impacted by the organization's shakeups, and rumblings suggested that Acosta would be moved from his morning slot to a midnight one. Though Acosta initially kept mum, he eventually hinted at the issues at the end of his January 23 show by signing off with a decidedly shady, "Still reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta." 

Unsurprisingly, Acosta's nemesis was thrilled by the drama. Taking to Truth Social, Donald Trump whooped, "Wow, really good news! Jim Acosta, one of the worst and most dishonest reporters in journalistic history, a major sleazebag, has been relegated by CNN Fake News to the Midnight hour, 'Death Valley,' because of extraordinarily LOW RATINGS (and no talent!)" Ever the class act, Trump continued, "Jim is a major loser who will fail no matter where he ends up. Good luck Jim!"

The very same day of Trump's social media tirade, Acosta formally announced his exit on CNN. "After giving all of this some careful consideration and weighing in alternative timeslots CNN offered me, I have decided to move on," he shared. Not one to be one-upped by the president, he also shared a not-so-subtle diss, clarifying that while many people believed his fight with Trump had been the highlight of his time at CNN, he'd actually preferred confronting Raul Castro.

Jim Acosta's dad came to America as a child refugee from Cuba. Though he hasn't given a ton of detail other than the fact that his dad had felt welcomed to the U.S. at the time, it's pretty clear the family history had a major impact on him. As such, when he had an opportunity to speak to the country's leader in 2016, he took it. Some may remember that Acosta pushed for answers on political prisoners, prompting Castro to become visibly irritated and ask him to present a list of those prisoners so that he could release them. 

In the time since, Acosta has continued to speak about Cuba. Notably, in 2021 he spoke on CNN about his experience going to the country with his dad, who hadn't been back in decades. Recounting that his father had said the area he grew up in hadn't developed in all the years he'd been away, Acosta shared that he believed the U.S.'s policies had played a role in that, and urged Joe Biden to reexamine them.

Acosta also addressed his experience in Cuba in his final CNN appearance. In what was likely a dig at CNN seemingly choosing to appease Donald Trump's second administration by removing him from his timeslot, he summed up his time in Cuba saying, "As the son of a Cuban refugee, I took home this lesson: It is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant."

While we weren't expecting Donald Trump to have anything nice to say, it may come as a surprise to many that a lot of his now-former colleagues haven't been the most complimentary, either. On the contrary, several unnamed CNN staff members told the Daily Mail that they were thrilled to learn of his exit, citing egotistical tendencies and fierce competitiveness as the reasons why. 

Regarding the former, one source told the outlet that Trump's uncomfortable confrontation with Acosta only fueled his self-absorption. "He was famous now. He was glowing, visibly thrilled and smiling. People knew who he was. He was part of the headlines. And so, he began to make this his entire personality. The guy was insufferable before, but now it's times-ten," they complained. As for the competitiveness, one of the sources didn't mince their words. "His jealousy is even visibly thicker than his makeup and hardened hair gel," they said. According to the insiders speaking to Daily Mail, said jealousy entailed the anchor freaking out if any of his colleagues got a scoop and he didn't. They also claimed he'd regularly check how much hotel rooms for his colleagues cost, to ensure he wasn't losing out on anything. 

If the animosity from the sources who spoke to the outlet was a broad feeling, perhaps Acosta's decision to walk away from CNN was for the best in more ways than one.

If Jim Acosta's comments on his exit from CNN are anything to go by, the aforementioned feelings of animosity weren't mutual. In fact, he said on a number of platforms that his experience with the organization had been overwhelmingly positive. He began his final CNN sign-off by giving a shout-out to his colleagues. Likewise, in his very first episode of "The Jim Acosta Show," he acknowledged to his guest (and fellow former CNN journalist) Norm Eisen, "We love the people at CNN, and I miss them, I will miss them terribly." He then went on to agree to Eisen's comment that he still viewed all their previous co-workers as their colleagues.

Even so, it's safe to say that Acosta has no regrets about leaving the network. In particular, he reiterated what he'd said regarding standing for truth. The following day, he doubled down yet again, this time with an Instagram post of a comic portraying himself walking away from CNN with his box of things, following a giant shadow bearing the word "Integrity." He has said in the past that it's his job to challenge those in power, so he's certainly been consistent on that front!

There's no question that Acosta has had his fair share of difficulties over the years. However, he's also stayed true to himself throughout all the curveballs, and we commend him for that.