Conservative reporter confronts CNN’s Jim Acosta at CPAC

Former CNN White House correspondent Jim AcostaJames (Jim) AcostaThe Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – Supreme Court’s blow to Trump CNN changes morning, afternoon lineups ‘Convict Trump’ banner flies over Mar-a-Lago during Senate impeachment trial MORE got entangled in a confrontation with a reporter for The Federalist at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Friday over his network’s coverage of New York Gov. Andrew CuomoAndrew CuomoFracking banned in Delaware River Basin Democratic strategists start women-run media consulting firm Boston’s Fenway Park, TD Garden reopening with limited capacity MORE.

Acosta was in the middle of an interview at CPAC when David Marcus, the New York correspondent for the Federalist, interrupted, asking repeatedly why CNN wasn’t reporting on the sexual abuse allegations Cuomo faces or his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Hey, hey, hey, Jim,” Marcus said on the video which the Federalist later posted to Twitter. “Hey, Jim, I’m David Marcus from The Federalist; when are you guys going to start covering Cuomo?”  “We do, we do,” Acosta said, before asking if he could finish what he was doing first before engaging with Marcus. 

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Marcos then continues to interrupt Acosta to ask about Cuomo in the video posted on Twitter.

Jim Acosta refuses to answer @BlueBoxDave’s questions about CNN’s lack of coverage of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s nursing home scandal and the allegations of sexual assault against him. pic.twitter.com/u6O9pFtkfB

— The Federalist (@FDRLST) February 26, 2021

  CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Acosta covered the White House throughout former President Donald TrumpDonald TrumpDonald Trump Jr. calls Bruce Springsteen’s dropped charges ‘liberal privilege’ Schiff sees challenges for intel committee, community in Trump’s shadow McConnell says he’d back Trump as 2024 GOP nominee MORE’s administration and became a nationally-known figure for his contentious battles with the former president.

The years covering Trump made Acosta a target of Trump supporters at rallies and other events, something that also took place at CPAC, where a crowd followed Acosta around the conference chanting “CNN sucks,” according to the Independent.

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CPAC is a home base of sorts of Trump this week. The former president will speak at the event on Sunday.

Marcus defended confronting Acosta while he was conducting an interview, telling The Hill that he should have expected it at CPAC.

“The dude walked into the lion’s den,” Marcus said. “That’s clearly what he was doing here. And when you walk into the lion’s den sometimes you gotta face the lion.” 

Acosta is CNN’s chief domestic correspondent and will start anchoring the network’s show “Newsroom” on weekends, starting in April.