CNN anchor Jim Acosta urged his viewers not to “give in to the lies” as he ended the final episode of his show, capping his nearly 18 years at the network.
Acosta announced on Tuesday he would leave CNN, opting to depart instead of taking a midnight time slot. He later announced on Tuesday he would start “The Jim Acosta Show” on Substack.
“One final message: Don‘t give in to the lies. Don‘t give in to the fear,” he said. “Hold on to the truth and to hope. Even if you have to get out your phone, record that message. ‘I will not give in to the lies. I will not give in to the fear.’ Post it on your social media so people can hear from you too.”
President Donald Trump, who has bragged about how “busy” he is, took time out of his Tuesday to gloat about Acosta’s departure.
“Jim Acosta, one of the worst and most dishonest reporters in journalistic history, a major sleazebag, has delegated by CNN Fake News to the Midnight hour, ‘Death Valley,’ because of extraordinarily BAD RATINGS (and no talent!),” Trump wrote. “Word is that he wants to QUIT, and that would be even better. Jim is a major loser who will fail no matter where he ends up. Good luck Jim!”
Trump and Acosta sparred throughout his first administration, with the president attacking the CNN reporter from even before his first administration started. “You are fake news,” Trump told Acosta during a January 2017 press conference.
The frosty relationship became a consistent thread throughout Trump’s first term, culminating in Trump temporarily revoking Acosta’s permanent press credentials. Still, Trump and his aides repeatedly engaged in the back-and-forth with the reporter. “Jim Acosta Is the White House’s Favorite Reporter,” read the headline of 2017 Politico magazine profile on Acosta.
The anchor told viewers his decision to “move on” came after CNN offered him an “alternative time slot.” CNN announced sweeping programming changes last week, none of which included a place for Acosta on its daytime or primetime lineups.
“I’ve always believed it’s the job of the press to hold power to account,” he told viewers. “I’ve always tried to do that here at CNN, and I plan to go on doing it in the future.”
In his signoff, Acosta said his proudest moment at the network came after he questioned Cuban dictator Raul Castro while covering President Barack Obama’s trip to Cuba in 2016. It taught him his biggest lesson, he said: “It is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant.”
Despite the criticism of the first Trump administration, Acosta’s star had continued to rise at CNN. He became the network’s chief domestic correspondent and weekend anchor in 2021, holding onto his seat throughout various network transitions. Even as more vocal anchors were fired following Warner Bros. Discovery’s ownership of the network, prompting whispers that Acosta would follow, he stayed put. He eventually got a weekday slot in February last year.
CNN confirmed Tuesday was his last show. “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 in a statement. “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.”
Status News reported Acosta’s intentions on Monday after weeks of noting the turmoil between him and the network.
“It has been an honor to be welcomed into your homes, for all these years,” Acosta said on Tuesday.