On November 7, 2018, Donald Trump held a post midterm press conference that ended with a CNN reporter losing his press pass, a doctored video being distributed by Infowars and a federal lawsuit. The clip has been making the rounds on X again this week. It may be eight years old, but it has managed to stay unusually current.
The exchange started when Jim Acosta questioned Trump about the migrant caravan ahead of the 2018 midterms, which Trump had repeatedly described as an invasion. “The caravan was not an invasion,” Acosta said before asking why Trump was demonizing immigrants.
Things only became more tense from there. Trump told Acosta to sit down, but Acosta continued asking questions. Trump responded by calling him a “rude, terrible person” and said he should not be working for CNN. When Acosta did not give up the microphone, a White House intern reached for it. NBC’s Peter Alexander briefly stepped in to defend Acosta and quickly found himself pulled into the exchange. Trump told him he was not a fan of his either.
James Tate posted the old exchange on X, and reactions soon followed.
HE is the terrible person. He is THE MOST horrible president in US history
— Dee (@QueenBee2u2) June 2, 2026
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Fair play to the @CNN journalist for his tenacity.
Trump needs to be challenged and held accountable.— Ted Smith 🇪🇺 (@TedUrchin) June 2, 2026
He still thinks he’s on The Apprentice.
— WarMonitor (@TheWarMonitor) June 2, 2026
Trump’s bullying of reporters like Acosta was a disgrace. Attacking the press for doing their job exposes exactly why democracy needs a free one.
— Twilight (@TwilightDewy) June 2, 2026
Later that same evening, the White House suspended Acosta’s press pass. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders defended the decision by saying Acosta had “placed his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern,” a claim CNN described as “fraudulent accusations” and Acosta called “a lie.”
The situation grew further after the White House circulated a doctored video supplied by Infowars that appeared to make Acosta’s arm movement look more aggressive than it actually was. Sixteen days later, a federal judge ruled that the suspension violated Acosta’s Fifth Amendment due process rights and his press pass was restored.
The reason the 2018 clip continues circulating in 2026 has less to do with nostalgia and more to do with familiarity. During Trump’s first term, suspending a reporter’s press credentials was unusual enough to end up in court and draw broad criticism. During the second term, many of those fights have taken a different shape.
The administration has revoked credentials for outlets including the Associated Press, blocked photographers from certain events and replaced the White House Correspondents’ Dinner press pool with a rotating selection of media organizations chosen by the administration.
Stephen Colbert lost his show after calling a CBS settlement with Trump a “big fat bribe.” Jimmy Kimmel was suspended from ABC for six days. The headlines may be different, but many of the arguments now feel less surprising than they once did.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
