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by Jason Abbruzzese and Dennis Romero
President Donald Trump's ongoing feud with Jim Acosta, CNN's White House chief correspond, boiled over on Wednesday, with Trump verbally berating the journalist before the White House further suspended his press access.
Acosta tweeted Wednesday night that he was denied access when he tried to enter the White House. He added in another tweet that he did not "blame" the U.S. Secret Service agent who stopped him.
"I know he's just doing his job," Acosta wrote.
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders later issued a statement that said the reporter's "hard pbad" has been suspended.
She called Acosta's behavior "absolutely unacceptable."
"It is also completely disrespectful to the reporter's ability to ask a question," Sanders stated.
I've just been denied entry to the WH. Secret Service just informed me I can not enter the WH grounds for my 8pm hit
– Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 8, 2018
Earlier in the day Trump called Acosta "a harsh, terrible person" he questioned the president.
The exchange went on during a White House press conference on the 2018 midterm elections, in which Trump called out failed Republican candidates who did not "embrace" him.
Trump began taking questions and calling on Acosta, who is trying to get rid of a migrant caravan of about 4,000 Central Americans who are walking through Mexico to claim asylum in the US.
Trump immediately interrupted Acosta as the journalist. "Here we go," Trump said to Acosta.
Acosta then challenged Trump's use of the word "invasion" to describe the caravan and asked the president if he thought he had demonized immigrants. Trump then said he wanted immigrants to "come in legally."
When the president tries to go to another journalist, Acosta can not be denied by Robert Mueller on the ongoing investigation into Trump's presidential campaign.
Trump told Acosta to "put down the mic" and a White House staffer tried to take the microphone from the CNN but he would not give it up.
Acosta finally relinquished the mic and sat down, but Trump then began to verbally berate him from the lectern.
"CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them," Trump said. "You are a tough, terrible person, you should not be working for CNN."
Trump added that the way Acosta had treated Sarah Sanders was "awful."
The next questioner, NBC White House News correspondent Peter Alexander, who defended Acosta.
In Jim's defense, I've traveled with him and watched him, he's a diligent reporter, "Alexander said.
"Well I'm not a big fan of yours either," Trump said.
Acosta then stood up and spoke to the microphone, to which the president responded, "When you report fake news, which CNN does a lot, you are the enemy of the people."
Acosta later tweeted his thanks to Alexander.
Later in the news conference, Yamiche Alcindor, White House correspond for PBS, asked the nationalist about the nationalist.
"I do not know why you'd say that," Trump said. "That's such a racist question."
Judy Woodruff, anchor and managing editors of PBS NewsHour, tweeted her support for Alcindor.
"My @NewsHour colleague @Yamiche is a complete professional, an utterly fair and hardworking reporter, Woodruff wrote. "She did not ask a 'racist question.'"
Alcindor later tweeted, "I'm just asking the question the public wants to know."
"Alcindor, who is black, said in another tweet. "We press on." We focus on the privilege of asking questions for a living.
Trump also repeatedly told April Ryan, White House correspond for American Urban Radio Networks, to sit down, adding that "it's such a hostile media."
The news conference lasted almost an hour and a half, making it one of the longest of Trump's presidency.
CNN released a statement through its public relations Twitter account addressing the exchange with Acosta.
"This President's ongoing attacks on the press have gone too far," the company said. "They are not only dangerous, they are disturbingly un-American, while President Trump has made it clear he does not respect a free press, he has a sworn obligation to protect it. Jim Acosta and his fellow journalists everywhere. "
Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, criticized Acosta for his part in the exchange.
"We all value a free press, but it's unfortunate that some reporters seem to be more interested in their own cable show than doing their jobs," McDaniel said in a statement. "The media grandstanding has gone overboard.
Trump and Acosta have sparred before, with the CNN journalist having emerged as one of the president's favorite personal targets for the media. In July, Trump declined to a question from Acosta during a press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May.
"CNN is fake news," Trump said. "I do not take questions from CNN."
CORRECTION (Nov. 7, 2018, 3:14 p.m. ET): An earlier version of this article misspelled the first name of the U.K. prime minister. She is Theresa May, not Teresa.
Jason Abbruzzese is the senior editor for technology news at NBC News Digital.
Dennis Romero
Dennis Romero is a freelance reporter based in Los Angeles.
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