Sanders Hits Back Hard When Acosta Asks If She Has The Guts To Call Press Enemy Of The People

4:42 PM 10/29/2018 | Politics

Benny Johnson | Reporter At Large

CNNs Jim Acosta asked multiple times if Sarah Sanders had the “guts” to call news outlets and journalists “the enemy of the people” Monday during the White House press briefing.

The question comes after Trump tweeted Monday morning calling “The Fake News Media” the true “Enemy of the People.”

Trump tweeted:

There is great anger in our Country caused in part by inaccurate, and even fraudulent, reporting of the news. The Fake News Media, the true Enemy of the People, must stop the open & obvious hostility & report the news accurately & fairly. That will do much to put out the flame of Anger and Outrage and we will then be able to bring all sides together in Peace and Harmony. Fake News Must End!

In response to the comment from the president, Acosta asked, “Shouldnt you reserve the term enemy for people for those who are actually the enemy of the United States rather than journalists?”

Sanders said bluntly, “The president is not referencing all media. Hes talking about the growing amount of fake news that exists in the country. The presidents calling that out.”

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Acosta asked a follow-up, saying, “Can you state for the record which outlets that you and the president regard as the enemy of the people?”

Sanders said “Im not gonna walk through a list. I think those individuals probably know who they are.”

Acosta wondered if CNN was part of the enemy of the people list, asking, “Would that include my outlet, which received bombs last week?”

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Sanders said, “I dont think its necessary … to make a broad generalization of a full outlet. At times, there are individuals the president would be referencing.”

“Shouldnt you have the guts, Sarah,” Acosta asked, “to state which outlets, which journalists are the enemy of the people?”

Sanders shut down the line of questioning, saying:

I think its irresponsible of a news organization like yours to blame responsibility of a pipe bomb that was not sent by the president, not just blame the president, but blame members of his administration, for those heinous acts. I think that is outrageous. I think its irresponsible.

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