‘Just Getting Things Wrong!’ CNN’s Jim Acosta Slams Trump For Forgetting Who’s President — Praising Dictators

CNN anchor Jim Acosta and political guru Larry Sabato roasted former President Donald Trump over his most recent gaffe — forgetting who the president is for at least the third time in a matter of weeks — and for praising strongmen and dictators around the world.

On Saturday, Trump gave a speech in Claremont, New Hampshire during which he managed to correctly identify Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban — to whom he previously has referred as the “leader of Turkey” — but told the crowd Orban called on President Barack Obama to resign “and be replaced by Trump” several weeks ago — but President Joe Biden is the president.

Sabato was a guest on Saturday’s edition of CNN Newsroom With Jim Acosta, during which Acosta asked about the pattern of gaffes and affection for dictators, and Sabato hit Trump with a zinger of his own:

ACOSTA: And let me ask you about the 2024 match-up between Biden and Trump. If Trump — and it looks like he’s going to get the nomination, if he is in fact the nominee. This afternoon, Trump held another rally. This time in New Hampshire, where he was gushing over Hungary’s authoritarian leader Viktor Orban. And he did this again. He made this comment that made it sound as though Trump thinks Barack Obama is the current president. Let’s listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The head of Hungary, very tough, strong guy, Viktor Orban. They were interviewing him two weeks ago and they said what would you advise President Obama, the whole world seems to be exploding?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Larry, Trump has had a lot of these slip-ups, mental lapses. Just getting things wrong. Some of his recent rallies, he did one earlier this week where he was down in Hialeah at the same they’re having that debate in Miami. We talked about Kim Jong-un being in charge of a country of 1.4 billion people. Obviously that was a verbal slip-up, a mental slip-up.

What do you think is going on? “The Washington Post” has a story out today on how Trump’s 2024 Republican rivals are looking for ways to stop his momentum and they’re seizing on opportunities to challenge his acuity. Talking about Trump’s acuity here, not Biden’s acuity, which is something that Republicans like to talk about. What’s your sense of what’s going on there?

SABATO: Well, good luck to his opponents in the Republican Party because the base, the Trump base, which is the biggest part of the Republican base, isn’t listening to any criticism of Trump. They don’t care even if they think it’s accurate, but it is important. Maybe the press reports should be more balanced. When President Biden’s age and questions about his so-called mental acuity or race may be the very same thing should be mentioned for Donald Trump.

I think that would be fair. And I’ve got to say, Jim, I just hope President Putin’s feelings weren’t hurt by the good things that Trump said about Orban. You know, I hope he’s not switching dictators here.

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