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White House suspends credentials for CNN's Jim Acosta

Friday, 9 November 2018



The White House has suspended the credentials of CNN's chief White House correspondent hours after a testy exchange with President Donald Trump, according to BBC.
Jim Acosta was asking a question at a news conference on Wednesday when a White House worker tried to grab the microphone from his hands.
Press secretary Sarah Huckerbee Sanders said access was removed because he had put "his hands on a young woman".
Mr Acosta called Ms Sanders claim "a lie".
President Trump had been giving his response to the mid-term elections, which saw his Republican party lose control of the lower house of Congress but gain seats in the upper house.
When Mr Acosta tried to ask a question about the Russia investigation into alleged interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, Mr Trump told him repeatedly "that's enough" and "put down the mic".
A female staff member attempted to take the microphone from the journalist, and Mr Acosta resisted handing it over telling her at one point "pardon me ma'am".
CNN issued a statement on Twitter saying the ban was "in retaliation for [Jim Acosta's] challenging questions".
"In an explanation, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders lied," it said. "She provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened."
The White House Correspondents' Association, which represents the press corps at the presidential residence, urged the administration to reverse "this weak and misguided action".