Tensions heated up between Fox News host Sean Hannity and CNN correspondent Jim Acosta Wednesday night after Hannity criticized Acosta for sharing footage of his treatment at Trump rallies, saying that he deserves it for being part of the “biased media.”
On his prime time show “Hannity,” the host added that Acosta should have been more concerned about the treatment of press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the White House Correspondents dinner when she was heckled by comedian Michelle Wolf.
Acosta responded on Twitter.
Hannity is a propagandist for profit, peddling lies every night. He says he’s just a talk show host, not a journalist. But he’s injecting poison into the nation’s political bloodstream warping public attitudes about the press. I’m confident in the long run the truth will prevail.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) August 2, 2018
In a profanity-laden tweet, Hannity fired back.
Jimmy @Acosta sorry your precious feelings are hurt & that people see through your lying bullshit for what it is. FAKE NEWS. #CNNSUCKS
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) August 2, 2018
Earlier this week, Acosta tweeted a video of the crowd at a Trump rally in Tampa, Florida, capturing the insults flung and middle fingers jabbed at him from the raucous rally-goers.
Just a sample of the sad scene we faced at the Trump rally in Tampa. I’m very worried that the hostility whipped up by Trump and some in conservative media will result in somebody getting hurt. We should not treat our fellow Americans this way. The press is not the enemy. pic.twitter.com/IhSRw5Ui3R
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) August 1, 2018
When asked about it at Wednesday’s press briefing, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders refused to condemn the crowd, saying that “the media holds a responsibility” before citing an old media leak of classified information that has been deemed untrue.
