Exclusive Interview with Jim Acosta

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast: Exclusive Interview with Jim Acosta
Release Date: February 19, 2025

In the "Exclusive Interview with Jim Acosta" episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast, hosts Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas engage in a profound discussion with veteran journalist Jim Acosta. The conversation delves into the strained relationship between the press and the Trump administration, the challenges faced by the Associated Press (AP), misinformation propagated by White House press secretaries, and unmet campaign promises by former President Donald Trump.

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1. Press Treatment by the Trump Administration

Ben initiates the conversation by addressing the deteriorating relationship between the press corps and the Trump administration. He poses a critical question to Acosta:

Ben [01:45]: "Have we reached the point where the press corps needs to boycott the press room, needs to just not show up? What do you think?"

Jim Acosta responds by emphasizing the urgency for the press to take a firmer stance:

Jim Acosta [02:02]: "...the press needs to do a bit more... when the White House bans the AP from the Oval Office, banning the AP from Air Force One... it has a major impact on the information that people are receiving around this country... I do think some serious consideration needs to be given to doing a bit more to stand up for our friends at the Associated Press..."

Acosta argues that the administration's actions against the AP—a cornerstone of American journalism—should prompt the press to reconsider their engagement strategies to uphold democratic values.

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2. Impact on Major News Outlets

Ben probes deeper into the implications of the Trump administration's targeting of the AP:

Ben [04:39]: "You think the Trump administration's attack on the AP, given their longstanding reputation... it's really an attack on all the other kind of major outlets out there really trying to do reporting, that's why they're picking on the AP?"

Jim Acosta concurs, elaborating on the administration's broader agenda:

Jim Acosta [04:58]: "Absolutely. And I think they're trying to send a message... because the Associated Press won't go along with that... I worry it's a test case... they're gonna start doing it to other news organizations... it's a slippery slope from there."

Acosta highlights concerns that the administration's actions against the AP could set a precedent, potentially jeopardizing the autonomy of other reputable news organizations.

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3. Misinformation from White House Press Secretaries

The conversation shifts to the role of White House press secretaries in disseminating information. Ben cites recent instances involving Caroline Levitt:

Ben [06:03]: "Let's talk about Caroline Levitt... lies about tens of millions of deceased people getting Social Security... this was quickly debunked... tens of millions of Americans now believe this..."

He presents a clip of Levitt making unfounded claims about fraudulent Social Security payments.

Jim Acosta critiques Levitt's credibility and the administration's approach to truth:

Jim Acosta [07:41]: "...she's on the team of liars... they're such bad liars... it's like anybody has kids out there, when your kid is telling you a tall tale... what's going on over at the White House right now."

Acosta draws parallels between current press secretaries and past figures known for misinformation, underscoring a pattern of deceit within the administration's communication strategies.

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4. Unfulfilled Campaign Promises

Ben shifts focus to the unkept promises made during Trump's campaign, questioning their realization:

Ben [09:43]: "Donald Trump said that he was going to lower prices on day one... peace in Ukraine in 24 hours... instead, Trump sends Marco Rubio to meet with Sergey Lavrov in Saudi Arabia... driving around in a NASCAR racetrack... you think people are starting to get fed up across the country?"

Jim Acosta agrees, critiquing Trump's priorities and effectiveness:

Jim Acosta [10:35]: "...he's on the StubHub rapid rewards program... hasn't done that yet... he's just not gonna do that. He is essentially a part-time president... What the hell did we vote for here?"

Acosta underscores the discrepancy between Trump's promises and actions, highlighting his focus on personal appearances over substantive policy-making.

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5. Jim Acosta's Current Endeavors

As the interview concludes, Ben inquires about Acosta's current work:

Ben [12:20]: "Jim, where can people find your reporting right now?"

Jim Acosta shares his ongoing projects and platforms:

Jim Acosta [12:29]: "Really building the plane mid-flight now on Substack... independent journalist... shows can be found on Apple Podcasts and YouTube... more to come..."

Ben encourages listeners to support Acosta's independent journalism:

Ben [13:13]: "Check out his Substack."

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Conclusion

The interview between Jim Acosta and The MeidasTouch Podcast hosts offers a critical examination of the adversarial dynamics between the Trump administration and the press. Acosta's insights shed light on the dismantling efforts against established journalistic institutions like the AP, the propagation of misinformation by White House figures, and the gap between political rhetoric and tangible achievements. The discussion serves as a call to action for media professionals and the public to uphold democratic principles and demand accountability from those in power.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jim Acosta [02:02]: "I do think some serious consideration needs to be given to doing a bit more to stand up for our friends at the Associated Press..."

• Jim Acosta [04:58]: "...I worry it's a test case... they're gonna start doing it to other news organizations... it's a slippery slope from there."

• Jim Acosta [07:41]: "...she's on the team of liars... what's going on over at the White House right now."

• Jim Acosta [10:35]: "...What the hell did we vote for here?"

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This summary provides an overview of the key discussions from the episode, encapsulating the critical perspectives shared by Jim Acosta regarding press freedom, misinformation, and political accountability.

Transcript

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[Jim Acosta]

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[Ben]

Hey Jim, I got to ask you your perspective on these press briefings. We've been seeing the treatment of the press by the Trump administration. Have we reached the point where the press corps needs to boycott the press room, needs to just not show up? What do you think?

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, I mean, I think we've reached a point now where, you know, I think the press needs to do a bit more. And that's a tough nut to crack, as I found, you know, covering him the first time around. You know, it's a little like herding cats, trying to get everybody in the press corps to act in a uniform fashion. But when you have the White House banning the AP from the Oval Office, banning the AP from Air Force One, and just to explain this to people, I mean, the Associated Press, the AP is an institution that's been around for over 100 years. They're in about 100 countries, they're in all 50 states. I believe their journalism is read and viewed by, you know, some 4 billion people around the world. And just about every news outlet in the United States relies on the Associated Press. So when the White House kicks the apartment out of the Oval Office off of Air Force One, it has a major impact on the information that people are receiving around this country. And I just don't think it's something that should be, you know, should just be tolerated at this point. You know, I think that the AP should look at whether or not they should sue the administration. I think the AP needs to, you know, look at other options in terms of what can be done. And I think the rest of the press corps needs to start giving some serious consideration to whether or not it's worth, you know, sending everybody into the Oval Office, sending everybody on Air Force One, sending everybody into the briefing room. And I know some of my friends over there at the White House press corps will say, hang on a second, how are we supposed to cover this guy? I understand that it's difficult if we're not there. But, you know, I do think for a moment, let the American people out there see this image of this aspiring autocrat in the Oval Office surrounded by just his propaganda outlets and right wing hacks. That's not a good look for him. And I'll tell you something else about Donald Trump then. He cares about having those cameras on him more than just about anything else in the world. If the press were to take those cameras away for a day or two, I think that there would be a lesson learned on his part. I think he would say, okay, maybe I ought to rethink this idea of kicking the Associated Press out of there if I can't have the cameras with me. And so I definitely think more can be done. Not saying a boycott tomorrow, I'm not saying anything drastic like that. But I do think some serious consideration needs to be given to doing a bit more to stand up for our friends at the Associated Press because they're such a valuable institution.

[Ben]

You think the Trump administration's attack on the ap, given their longstanding reputation, their distribution, their use by all of these other outlets, it's really an attack on all the other kind of major outlets out there really trying to do reporting, that's why they're picking on the ap?

[Jim Acosta]

Absolutely. And I think they're trying to send a message. They're trying to say, listen, if you don't do things our way, there's a price to be paid now. I mean, we need to remind the viewers out there the reason why they're doing this to the AP is because they refuse to Call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, which is the dumbest thing. I think if you were to come up with a list of the dumbest things that Donald Trump has done as president of the United States, renaming the Gulf of Mexico would have to be in the top five. I mean, you know, obviously telling people that they can inject disinfectants into their body, that's probably still at number one. That's the reigning champion. But renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, I'd have to put it in my top five. And because the Associated Press won't go along with that, because they're serious journalists and they're not here to do the propaganda for the aspiring autocrat in the Oval Office. That's why they're being punished. And I worry it's a test case. I worry that if they get away with this, they're gonna start doing it to other news organizations, other journalists, and then it's a slippery slope from there.

[Ben]

You've seen a lot of press secretaries in your day. Let's talk about Caroline Levitt, the current holder of that position. It seems that every day she goes out there, takes another almost Q drop. I call him at this point is another lie from Elon Musk and then spreads it and just says it matter of factly. She goes on Fox and then spews the propaganda there. I think Jesse Waters was bragging yesterday about the propaganda machine they created about how Elon Musk first posted. And then the podcast Bring it and then Fox brings it. Let me show you this video of Caroline Levitt, the short clip from her last night on Fox where she lied about tens of millions of deceased people getting Social Security. This was quickly debunked, but now all, you know, tens of millions of Americans now believe this the same way they believe they were condoms going to Hamas in Gaza.

[Unknown Speaker]

Here, play this clip he is now delivering on it. And I've been fighting fake news reporters all day long here in the Washington, D.C. swamp who are trying to fear monger the American people into believing that this administration is going after their hard earned tax dollars and their hard earned Social Security checks. So I want to set the record straight on your show tonight, Sean, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity to do so. President Trump has directed Elon Musk and the Doge team to identify fraud at the Social Security Administration. They haven't dug into the books yet, but they suspect that there are tens of millions of deceased people who are receiving fraudulent Social Security payments.

[Ben]

Jim, what do you make of Caroline.

[Jim Acosta]

Levitt, you know, she. It's hard to see somebody out Spicer, Sean Spicer, or out Huckabee, Sarah Huckabee, Sanders. But Caroline Levitt, she is. She's making a run for it. You know, she just might get on Trump's all star team of liars. You know, she might be on the bench right now, but if she keeps working hard, she does her homework, she just might make it onto the team. It's a sad and sorry state of affairs, but what we're seeing right now from this White House is exactly what we saw during the first Trump administration. They perform for the audience of one. Ben. Sean Spicer did this. And as I used to say about Sean Spicer, the problem for Sean Spicer was not that Melissa McCarthy became Sean Spicer, it was that Sean Spicer became Melissa McCarthy and that caricature that we used to all laugh about on Saturday Night Live and Caroline Levitt, unless they've already done it on snl, I would have to think that something like that is in the works because the skit writes itself. They're such bad liars. I mean, it's sort of like anybody has kids out there, when your kid is telling you a tall tale and you're just looking at them like, okay, Johnny, sure, yeah, I believe you. And you just walk away saying, what the hell? That kid's not telling me the truth. That's what's going on over at the White House right now. But make no mistake, they are performing for an audience of one. And so if she gets out in front of the cameras and starts telling the truth, Donald Trump, who was addicted to being on tv, hearing about himself on tv, reading about himself online, he's probably watching these briefings and thinking to himself, well, wait a minute, they can't go out there and tell the truth. They have to tell it the way I tell it, which is, you know, all lies. And, you know, we're right back where we were in that first Trump White House, Ben. It is a very sad and sorry state of affairs. And I feel. I feel very sorry for the fact checkers out there, because once again, they're working in overdrive, you know.

[Ben]

And finally, let's talk about the promises that have already been broken. Donald Trump said that he was going to lower prices on day one. He said there was going to be all these jobs right away. We weren't going to know what to do with all of these jobs. He said that there would be peace in Ukraine in 24 hours. Instead, Trump sends Marco Rubio to meet with Sergey Lavrov in Saudi Arabia and tries to cut out Europe and Ukraine from that conversation. Nothing really came out of it other than some great photo ops for Russian propaganda. And what's Donald Trump been doing? He's been like driving around in a NASCAR racetrack and circles for photo ops and going to the super bowl, costing taxpayers millions of dollars. You think people are starting to get fed up across the country? And do you think that sentiment's growing?

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. I mean, take any poll that comes out right now that shows, you know, Trump's doing this well with voters or that well with Republicans or this well with. And throw all that out the window. It's going to take some time for people to absorb what's taking place right now. You're absolutely right, Ben. When Trump was out there on the campaign trailer, he said on day one, I'm going to start lowering prices in this country. That hasn't happened, he said, on day one. And perhaps even getting into the Oval Office, he said he's going to solve the war in Ukraine. Hasn't happened yet. And what is he doing? He's going to the Super Bowl. He's going to the Daytona 500. You know, it's like he's on the StubHub rapid rewards program. You know, I was talking about this on my show on Substack yesterday, Ben. The question I was asking was, you know, hasn't he gotten over the cool and fun part of being President of the United States? He had four years to do that. This is like that movie Dave, if anybody remembers the movie Dave, where Kevin Klein suddenly becomes President of the United States and he goes out and has a ball being president. You know, he's got the giant robotic arms at the one factory photo op and so. And he has a great time. But that's when you're Donald Trump and you're facing an inflation problem in this country that's very stubborn. When you've got a war in Ukraine that needs to be solved, you can't be out there doing laps at the Daytona 500. You need to be working in overdrive for the American people. And he's just not gonna do that. He is essentially a part time president who has delegated the presidency to Elon Musk. And the question that folks are gonna have to start asking, and I think they're already starting to ask, is, what the hell did we vote for here? People did not vote for Donald Trump to act like Kevin Klein in the movie, Dave, and just go have a good time being president. Of the United States. He was elected to solve people's problems. He's just not doing that right now. Not even close.

[Ben]

Jim, where can people find your reporting right now where you based? I know, I've been following your substacks have been incredible. Let let all the people know out there.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, Ben, really building the plane mid flight right now on substack. Really enjoying that experience. Loving being an independent media, being an independent journalist. So if folks want to watch the show on substack, we're airing pretty typically at 4 o'clock every day eastern. But some of that slides back and forth depending on, you know, things that I'm up to. Also writing some articles on substack. Folks can find it there and then the shows can be found also on Apple podcasts and on YouTube. So I've got some other things in the works as well that I'll maybe put that tease out there. But there's more to come so folks stay tuned for that. Not to sound like a TV guy, but more coming.

[Ben]

Well, one of the number one I requests requests I always get is to bring you on here the Midas Touch network. And so I know all the Midas mighty will be happy to see you here. Jim Acosta, thanks for joining us and everybody check out his substack.

[Jim Acosta]

You bet. Great to see you Ben. Love the Midas touch. You guys keep doing what you're doing. You're doing great.

[Ben]

Thanks Jim. Everybody hit subscribe. Let's get to 5 million subscribers. Let's get to 5.

[Jim Acosta]

Let's do it.

[Ben]

Can't get enough Midas. Check out the Midas plus substack for ad free articles, reports, podcast daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski and more. Sign up for free [e-mail].

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