CNN staffers were struck at how swift Jim Acosta’s exit from the network was, which unfolded in a matter of days.
“I think we’re just taken aback about how fast it was. It happened in a flash,” one CNN staffer told Fox News Digital.
At the end of his 10 a.m. daytime show on Tuesday, Acosta announced his departure from the network after 18 years.
“You may have seen some reports about me and this show and after giving all of this some careful consideration, and weighing an alternative timeslot CNN offered me, I have decided to move on,” Acosta told viewers.
JIM ACOSTA ANNOUNCES HE’S LEAVING CNN
The veteran CNN star offered a pointed message, which included a not-so-veiled swipe at President Donald Trump, who he famously feuded with during Trump’s first term.
“It is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant,” Acosta said. “I have always believed it’s the job of the press to hold power to account. I have always tried to do that here at CNN. I plan on doing all of that in the future.
“One final message – don’t give into the lies. Don’t give into the fear. Hold onto the truth, and to hope. Even if you have to get out your phone, record that message. I will not give into the lies. I will not give into the fear. Post it on your social media, so people can hear from you, too,” he added.
CNN commentator Ana Navarro took his message to heart, writing on X “I will not give in to the lies. I will not give in to the fear. I will not normalize insanity. I will not ignore cruelty” before thanking Acosta for his “integrity.”
“Jim has had a long, distinguished nearly 20-year career at CNN, with a track record of standing up to authority, for the First Amendment and for our journalistic freedoms,” a CNN spokesperson said about his exit. “We want to thank him for the dedication and commitment he’s brought to his reporting and wish him the very best in the future.”
Acosta’s announcement came after days of speculation about his future after he was left off CNN’s updated programming schedule unveiled last week. Acosta’s 10 a.m. ET program was being replaced with “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown” in the network’s latest reshuffling.
ANTI-TRUMP ANCHOR JIM ACOSTA LEFT OFF NEW CNN PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE
CNN CEO Mark Thompson reportedly offered Acosta a two-hour slot at midnights, but Acosta ultimately decided to walk away and take on a new path outside the network instead of accepting what much of the media industry considered a significant demotion.
“Him leaving isn’t unexpected given the reporting. Him leaving so fast is what was unexpected,” the CNN staffer told Fox News Digital.
Despite the outcry that occurred among Acosta’s liberal fans after rumors emerged that he was being moved to midnights, the CNN insider suggested the rest of the network’s staff would ultimately “go about their days” rather than dwelling on Acosta’s exit.
“Look, I think folks liked Jim. But Cuomo went and CNN moved on. Lemon left and CNN moved on. People can be liked, and people will move on,” the network insider said, referring to the controversial exits of Chris Cuomo in 2021 and Don Lemon in 2023.
A second CNN staffer called Acosta’s sendoff message “classy,” telling Fox News Digital “People admire him.”
However, Acosta’s former colleagues are convinced this was an ideological move by Thompson over concerns he was perceived as being too anti-Trump to maintain the 10 a.m. slot during Trump’s second term.
“That is quite simply how they see it, as a fact- as opposed to there being any discussion over it,” the network insider said about what CNN staff believes.
“I think there’s room for someone like Acosta. I think personality and presence matter a lot on TV,” the insider continued. “In a 24-hour network there is room for a stronger voice. People have to want to tune in… It’s all an art, which sounds silly, but programming is art, not science.”
CNN’S JIM ACOSTA ‘GETTING HOSED’ AS NETWORK MULLS MOVING ANTI-TRUMP ANCHOR TO MIDNIGHTS, SOURCES SAY
Critics on social media have accused CNN of bending the knee to Trump as his second administration is underway.
“Shame on you @CNN. Shame on you,” ex-GOP congressman and occasional CNN guest Joe Walsh reacted on X. “You abandoned your duty to hold ALL public officials accountable. You caved to the crybaby in the White House. Shame on you CNN. And if I’m ever on CNN again, I will say every word of this.”
“Acosta was a pain in Trump’s side during his first term. Looks like CNN is caving to the White House,” former Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., similarly wrote.
Hours after his final CNN broadcast, Acosta made his debut on Substack and teased that “The Jim Acosta Show” was coming soon.
“To President Trump and his allies, you may think you have silenced me. But guess again,” Acosta told his foes.
Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.