Longtime CNN correspondent and anchor Jim Acosta is expected to depart the network by the end of January, according to former CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy claims at his Status News site. “The anchor, I’m told, signaled to associates in private conversations over the weekend that he intends to depart the network after its chief executive, Mark Thompson, booted him from the morning programming lineup — a move that conspicuously coincided with Donald Trump’s return to power,” he wrote Monday evening.
As previously reported by Status, CNN executives have decided to remove Jim Acosta from his 10 a.m. show, which has enjoyed significant ratings success over the past 11 months, occasionally outperforming programs in the network’s prime-time lineup. Instead, Acosta was offered the less appealing option of hosting a show from midnight to 2 a.m. ET.
CNN framed the opportunity as a chance to anchor during prime time on the West Coast and even suggested Acosta relocate to Los Angeles to host the program. However, the reality is that the show would air during a time when cable news viewership is at its lowest, which — for CNN — is saying something considering the network has been shedding viewers for the past couple of years, falling far behind Fox News and being beaten in prime viewing slots occasionally by upstart conservative Newsmax TV.
Last week, CNN replaced Acosta’s 10 a.m. time slot with The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown as part of the network’s schedule reshuffle, the New York Post added. At the time, no official announcement was made about Acosta’s future role. However, just days before President Trump’s inauguration, the network reportedly offered him a midnight program, effectively assigning him to the graveyard shift. The anchor reportedly “struggled with the choice,” an insider at the cable news network told Fox, which may have influenced him to cut his contract short, The Post added.
Another person at CNN expressed disappointment over Acosta’s resignation from the network, believing he had the talent to make late-night news engaging. “Many viewers like Jim … if there is anyone who could make the overnight go, it’s him. It’s sad to see him go,” the insider told Fox News Digital.
After the 2020 election, Acosta left Washington, DC, and assumed the role of chief domestic correspondent, a position he currently holds. Acosta’s anticipated exit from the network coincides with CNN leadership’s efforts to adopt a more neutral stance on politics for Trump’s second term, noted The Post.