CNN reporter Jim Acosta on Tuesday morning said he is leaving the channel after declining to accept a new timeslot. Acosta made the announcement at the end of his 10:00 a.m. “CNN Newsroom” show.
“After giving all of this careful consideration and weighing an alternative timeslot CNN offered me, I’ve decided to move on,” Acosta said.
The longtime reporter — who gained notoriety in recent years for his combative relationship with President Donald Trump — thanked his crew and said he was “grateful” for his 18 years at the network. He said the highlight of his CNN run was not covering Trump, which many people ask him about, but rather when he went to Cuba in 2016 and was able to question Raúl Castro.
“Don’t give in to the lies, don’t give in to the fear,” Acosta said in his final plea to viewers. “Hold onto the truth — and to hope.”
Today’s show was my last at CNN. My closing message: It’s never a good time to bow down to a tyrant… don’t give in to the lies. Don’t give in to fear. Hold on to the truth… and hope. pic.twitter.com/sGhSWSyPMz
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 28, 2025
“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 told TheWrap. “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.”
Moments before signing off, President Trump skewered Acosta over reports he was leaving CNN.
“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 BAD RATINGS (and no talent!),” Trump posted on Truth Social. “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!”
Acosta’s exit comes a week after CNN’s new linear lineup revealed he was being removed from his morning show timeslot. “The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown” will soon take over the 10 a.m. ET timeslot.
When CNN first set its updated schedule last week, the network indicated it was still working with Acosta to keep him on board despite the changes. The TV show host turned down a potential midnight-2 a.m. ET offer and will now focus on pursuing new ventures instead (it’s worth noting, however, that timeslot would’ve been primetime on the West Coast considering CNN has global reach).
Acosta first joined CNN as a correspondent in 2007 from CBS News. He was promoted to national political correspondent in 2012, senior White House correspondent in 2013 and then chief White House correspondent in 2018. In 2021, he was made chief domestic correspondent and weekend anchor before ultimately settling into his weekday morning broadcast.
“The changes we’re announcing today are part of an ongoing response by this great news organization to profound and irreversible shifts in the way audiences in America and around the world consume news,” CNN CEO Mark Thompson said of the initial decision.
Check out the complete new schedule, below:
11p-12a ET: “Laura Coates Live“
5-6a ET: “5 Things with Rahel Solomon“
6-7a ET: “CNN This Morning with Audie Cornish“
7-10a ET: “CNN News Central“
10a-12p ET: “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown“
12-1p ET: “Inside Politics with Dana Bash“
1-4p ET: “CNN News Central“
4-5p ET: “CNN’s The Arena with Kasie Hunt“
5-7p ET: “The Lead with Jake Tapper“
7-8p ET: “Erin Burnett OutFront“
8-9p ET: “Anderson Cooper 360“
9-10p ET: “The Source with Kaitlan Collins“
10-11p ET: “NewsNight with Abby Phillip“
