‘A Global Embarrassment!’ CNN’s Jim Acosta Slams ‘Wild’ Spectacle Of Trump Arrest ‘For The Entire World To See’
CNN anchor Jim Acosta slammed the “global embarrassment” of ex-President Donald Trump’s arrest next week — a “wild” scene “for the entire world to see!”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis announced a new indictment of Trump at a press conference on Monday night on with 13 counts related to election crimes. Trump and the 18 co-defendants named in the indictment have been given until August 25 to surrender for arrest and arraignment, and Trump is expected to surrender Thursday.
Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat has promised that if Trump is arrested, he will be forced to pose for a mugshot, which would then be made available to the press.
On Friday night’s edition of CNN Tonight, Acosta asked Van Jones for his take on the spectacle of the arrest, with obvious disgust:
ACOSTA: Yeah. Van, I mean, what do you think of that? I mean, this is — this is just going to be wild for the entire world to see, and really just a global embarrassment at the same time.
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Absolutely. Also, um, you know, I’m not sure that Trump is as sad about this as my colleagues. You know, he is the master of the spectacle. It’s a situation where that mugshot, you might call it the $10 million or $20 million mugshot, because I guarantee you he is going to raise a ton of money off of it.
He has developed something new in American politics where the worse he does by any normal measure, the higher he rises.
You know, I don’t think most Republican voters would give a job offer or a job interview to somebody with 91 felony charges against him, but they’re willing to give him the White House.
He’s doing something here. He’s playing some kind of a game here. But, you know, as much as a normal person would not want a mugshot, I’m not sure that he’s not planning on turning into billboards.
ACOSTA: Yeah. I mean, to that point, Mark, does it — does it almost not matter? I mean, I hesitate to say this, but does it almost not matter what happens at this debate on Wednesday if Donald Trump sucks up all the oxygen one day or two days later?
MCKINNON: I think it does matter. Debates always matter in political contests, especially election — presidential elections. This is an opportunity for somebody to break out, and somebody will break out next week. Because Donald Trump is not going to be there, it won’t be him.
And so, I think that this is a real opportunity for somebody. And, you know, contrary to Van’s assessment, yes, I think he’s going to get a lot of attention. Yes, I think Donald, in his mind, he thinks it’s great. He’ll be the center of attention and use the mugshot.
But I don’t know a political consultant on either side of the aisle that would suggest that the best strategy is to get an additional indictment. It may play well in the primary, but I guarantee it’s going to hurt him in the general election, and already it is.
Watch above via CNN Tonight.
