The Trump administration received backlash for pulling Jim Acosta's press pass late Wednesday evening. While some cheered the decision, others disagreed with the reasoning behind the decision.
The White House pays lip service to due process while falsely accusing Jim Acosta of being violent towards a young woman. Trump and the Republican party don’t have any guiding principles other than what benefits them at the moment. It’s politics of lies and selfishness.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) November 8, 2018
This is not what happened. You could have banned him simply for refusing to abide by any of the normal rules of the press room. No need to state something happened that didn’t. https://t.co/p9hgtVE8eZ
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) November 8, 2018
Plenty to criticize Acosta about, but he did not "place his hands" on the intern. It's ridiculous for anyone to suggest he did. And after Trump joked about Gianforte bodyslamming Ben Jacobs the White House can't bust out the fainting couch now. https://t.co/1rFOw9CCiz
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) November 8, 2018
Many other reporters at this informal press conference held on to the mike, and kept demanding answers from Trump when Trump wanted to move on. Acosta was not the only one. Time for the press to stick up for Acosta & CNN. https://t.co/J372CZt3cC
— Anne Rice (@AnneRiceAuthor) November 8, 2018
oh shut up. you banned him because your boss told you to. and he did it because he doesn't like Acosta's questions. this is the best excuse you could come up with on short notice, really?
— Dan Tynan (@tynanwrites) November 8, 2018
I hope @Acosta stands in front of the WH every day and tells the truth about what’s going on inside the loony bin.
— HABFoundation (@ABFalecbaldwin) November 8, 2018
Every day.
There was clear video of the interaction between Jim Acosta and a White House staffer during today's news conference. Sarah Sanders mischaracterized it—in cynically gendered terms—anyway. The expansion of the post-truth press shop continues apace:https://t.co/ENEmOiCCSl pic.twitter.com/P0j8PQ0640
— Megan Garber (@megangarber) November 8, 2018
If blocking an intern from taking a mic is assault then Lewandowski actually murdered Michelle Fields and now I’m friends with a ghost
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) November 8, 2018
Well. She could have been carrying a pen. I hear those are very dangerous. https://t.co/IGIYxEMexc
— Michelle Fields (@MichelleFields) November 8, 2018
Oh, tell me more about this iron clad policy you have https://t.co/ipXtkmh10A
— Jamie Weinstein (@Jamie_Weinstein) November 8, 2018
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, however, said the Trump administration stands by their decision. Sanders also included a slow motion video of earlier's encounter between Acosta and an intern, which highlights the incident the White House describes as Acosta "placing his hands on a young woman."
We stand by our decision to revoke this individual’s hard pass. We will not tolerate the inappropriate behavior clearly documented in this video. pic.twitter.com/T8X1Ng912y
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) November 8, 2018
Whether or not Acosta hit/assaulted/pushed/shoved (whatever you want to call it) remains up for debate amongst media folks.