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By Greg Price
Staff Writer
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The head of President Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign called for the revoking of CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta's press credentials over the reporter's questions to Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un while the leaders signed an agreement Tuesday.
Brad Parscale, who previously served as digital media director to Trump's 2016 campaign, lambasted Acosta as an "absolute disgrace" for shouting out questions during the signing ceremony while citing an article from conservative website The Daily Wire.
"Jim @Acosta should immediately have his press credentials suspended. He is an absolute disgrace! @realDonaldTrump," Parscale tweeted.
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In the clip below, Acosta can be heard asking Trump: "Mr. President, did we agree to denuclearize?"
Trump responded: …"Starting that process very quickly, very, very quickly. Absolutely."
Acosta also asked if Trump and Kim had discussed Otto Warmbier, the student who was detained by North Korea and died shortly after he returned to the U.S.
Acosta, at whom Trump famously shouted "You're fake news" during a January 2017 press conference shortly after CNN reported about the infamous Trump-Russia dossier, has often battled aggressively in his efforts to question the Trump administration. However, it is not uncommon for reporters to shout out questions during ceremonies or appearances before the press.
Acosta's questions were also pertinent to the summit and its impact. The North agreed to complete denuclearization, but the communique Kim and Trump signed was vague on exactly when and how that process would be carried out.
The president had offered praise for Kim, who's been accused of mass human rights abuses against his people in order to maintain power, and Trump's critics have seized on his meeting with a dictator.
Parscale's threat to Acosta mirrored Trump's previous attacks against the media and suggestions for taking away their credentials or broadcasting licenses over coverage of his administration.
Last month, Trump cited "negative (Fake)" media coverage and called the media "corrupt" when he suggested revoking credentials.
"The Fake News is working overtime. Just reported that, despite the tremendous success we are having with the economy & all things else, 91% of the Network News about me is negative (Fake). Why do we work so hard in working with the media when it is corrupt? Take away credentials ?" the president tweeted.
Trump's suggestion echoed a pair of tweets from October when the president called out the media and specifically NBC News.
"Network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake that licenses must be challenged and, if appropriate, revoked. Not fair to public!" Trump tweeted.
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