Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Thursday said he did not agree with the White House revoking CNN’s Jim Acosta’s press pass, but also called out the reporter for acting like an “activist.”
{mosads}”I don’t think they should revoke his WH pass,” the senator tweeted.
“Revoking press access for being rude is a very slippery slope. But the WH pass is to cover the news, not make yourself the news. This tweet & his behavior is what you expect from an activist, not a journalist.”
At a wide-ranging Trump press conference on Wednesday, Acosta asked a question about President Trump’s characterization of the migrant caravan moving toward the southern border as an “invasion,” a line of questioning which appeared to irritate the president.
“CNN should be ashamed of themselves, having you working for them,” Trump said after Acosta gave up the microphone. “You are a rude, terrible person.”
Following the incident, Acosta had his press credentials suspended later on Wednesday, with the White House claiming that Acosta became physical with a young female intern during his exchange with Trump.
Trump asked Acosta to stop asking questions, then a White House intern approached Acosta and tried to take the microphone out of his hand. Video appears to show the CNN reporter said “pardon me, ma’am” and refused to let go of the mic and his hand appeared to brush the intern’s arm during the exchange.
CNN said in a statement that Acosta “has our full support” and backed up the reporter’s statement that Sanders “lied” in her “fraudulent” explanation by citing an incident “that never happened.”