“Truly an Embarrassment”: Ex-CNN Producer Calls Out Jim Acosta for Heckling Trump During Annapolis Eulogy

A former CNN producer has called out Jim Acosta for giving “all good journalists a bad name” after he heckled President Trump during remarks about the five journalists who lost their lives in Thursday’s deadly newsroom attack in Annapolis, Maryland. 

“This attack shocked the conscience of our nation and filled our hearts with grief. Journalists, like all Americans, should be free from the fear of being violently attacked while doing their job,” President Trump said.  

Before going any further today, I want to address the horrific shooting that took place yesterday at the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland. This attack shocked the conscience of our Nation, and filled our hearts with grief… pic.twitter.com/LALXGhk04b

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2018

This prompted CNN’s Jim Acosta to start heckling Trump – asking the President “Will you stop calling the press the enemy of the people?“

A man in front of Acosta is visibly annoyed, turning around several times to shush the CNN employee. 

“Mr. President, will you stop calling the press the enemy of the people,” CNN Journalist Jim Acosta shouted at the end of Trump’s speech pic.twitter.com/FqWT5afwUV

— POLITICO (@politico) June 29, 2018

For that, former CNN digital producer Steve Krakauer took Acosta to task for drawing links between Trump’s criticism of the media and the shooting – even after it was known that the shooter had a long-standing grudge against the paper, had been reported to police at least twice, and that a restraining order against the suspect had been taken out against him by a journalist. 

“Truly an embarrassment, on multiple levels. Jim Acosta’s self-serving antics give all good journalists a bad name,” tweeted Krakauer. 

Truly an embarrassment, on multiple levels. Jim Acosta’s self-serving antics give all good journalists a bad name. https://t.co/TarlLVZ3RZ

— Steve Krakauer (@SteveKrak) June 29, 2018

As John Nolte of Breitbart points out – Acosta was literally manufacturing fake news, as there’s no way Trump could have heard him. 

Acosta is clearly too far away to be seen or heard by the president.

Nevertheless, although there is no way he will be heard, Acosta drops all pretense of professionalism to still holler a question to the president

In other words, Acosta knows Trump cannot hear him, but like a heckler out to spoil the moment for everyone else, he still screams his question at him.

…

Watch as Acosta turns around to look at his cameraman and appears to ask if they got the shot. Then the camera lights are shut off, which again reveals just how staged and artificial all of this is. –Breitbart

“This is not journalism,” concludes Nolte.  

Nearly three weeks prior, Acosta decided to insert himself again – heckling Trump and Kim Jong-un during their historic Singapore summit. 

The unmistakable voice of CNN’s @Acosta shouting questions at Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un:

“Mr. Kim will you give up your nuclear weapons, sir?” pic.twitter.com/ISQfpvryWZ

— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) June 12, 2018

On one hand, it would be easy for the White House to yank Acosta’s press pass. Then again, watching CNN perpetually embarrass itself has become an American pastime.