The clock is ticking for CNN anchor and Donald Trump target Jim Acosta.
According to a report from Status News, Acosta's network is looking to shuffle the daytime newsman into a midnight slot in anticipation of Trump's second term. Former CNN reporter and current Status editor Oliver Darcy broke the news of a phone call between Acosta and CNN CEO Mark Thompson, saying that Thompson pitched Acosta on a move to "the Siberia of television news."
The move would be part of a larger shake-up jumbling several veteran anchors' time slots. Long-time evening anchor Wolf Blitzer was also asked to move to the mornings and, in a certain light, Acosta's potential bump to the graveyard shift can be seen as an accommodation of that. However, many media figures and insiders at CNN see the move as anticipatory obedience with the Trump administration.
Acosta and Trump have a history. After the then-White House correspondent pressed Trump on questions about Russia, Trump revoked Acosta's press credentials and called the reporter an "enemy of the people." His access was eventually restored after CNN filed a lawsuit. Given that bad blood, it's easy to see why CNN might not want Acosta out in front for Trump's second term.
"They want to get rid of Acosta to throw a bone to Trump," an unnamed media exec told Status. "Midnight is not a serious offer when his ratings are among the best on the network."
CNN staffers who spoke to Mediaite seemed concerned that the move might cause a "chilling effect" around critical coverage of Trump.
“Jim made a career and name for himself by asking tough questions and holding power to account. That included Trump. So it will be interesting to see if this kind of move has some sort of chilling effect or sends a message to other shows and EPs about how the network wants to engage with this new administration,” an anonymous staffer shared.
Others worried about the optics of moving one of the network's foremost Trump critics to the middle of the night as Trump begins his second term.
"People are upset, are just concerned about how it looks," one unnamed staffer told Mediaite. “We’re being weak against the incoming president."
A CNN spokesperson declined to comment on the rumors when reached by Salon.
