Former CNN host and White House correspondent Jim Acosta, who has gone more than a few rounds of verbal sparring with President Donald Trump during his time in the Oval Office, recently got his backside handed to him on social media platform X after posting a video from a protest outside of the John F. Kennedy Center in Los Angeles, California.
Folks were there to protest against Trump’s threats to potentially shut down the art center, which, according to him and other experts, is in desperate need of repair and is actually dangerous for those who attend the venue for events. Not only did the president say he might shut it down, but that he might tear it down as well.
“Okay, hey everybody! Look, I’m down here at the Kennedy Center right now, in the middle of this Hands Off the Kennedy Center demonstration that’s being staged by the wonderful people at Hands Off the Arts, and look at how big the crowd is here gathered outside the Kennedy Center, the same Kennedy Center that Donald Trump says he wants to tear down if his name is not added back to it,” Acosta said in the video as he panned the camera around so his viewers could take a look at the crowd.
“This should be an unmistakable message being sent to Donald Trump right now, to keep your damn hands off the Kennedy Center. And if you even try to rip down this beautiful institution, this living memorial to a slain president, there will be hell to pay. And I imagine right now this is just a tiny fraction of all of the people around this country and around this world who want to save the Kennedy Center, and there it is behind me, still closed to the public, still under threat of demolition, but still standing,” he added.
Former Trump administration official Richard Grenell took to social media platform X where he obliterated Acosta by sharing the “evolution of the radical and unhinged left” broken down into 10 steps:
1. There is no financial crisis at the Kennedy Center (but there’s zero money in the bank, huge debt, paying staff with debt reserves, crumbling building, no outside fountains working, ceiling collapsing…)
2. Artists and the public must boycott the Kennedy Center!
3. Why aren’t more people boycotting?
4. Ticket sales are down so there must be a financial crisis.
5. Why are Trump and corporate donors giving millions and saving the Kennedy Center?
6. There’s no need to renovate using Congress appropriations.
7. Do NOT close to renovate.
8. We demand shows return.
9. We demand you stay open (but they still boycott).
10. Don’t you dare tear it down.
Lots of folks on social media agreed with Grenell. “You want it saved? Back off the LAWFARE, let PRESIDENT Trump get the building properly evaluated by PROFESSIONALS to determine what must be done to save the building. Delaying renovations with Lawfare and demonstrations do not improve the situation,” one user wrote in the comment section.
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“The Kennedy Center needs to supported or closed. how much has Acosta donated? where is the Kennedy family? President Trump solved the issue, but the TDS left was not interested. F**k the Kennedy family. Close it,” another person wrote. “Hard to believe these leftist loons blocked President Trump from the rehabilitation of the whole place, dumb,” someone else said.
A composer thanked Grenell for bringing attention to the matter, saying, “Thank you, Richard, for your service to the Kennedy Center and to the country. And, please thank the President for helping bring back this great institution from the ruinous state it is in.” Another wrote, “Gee. Actually he was trying to repair it. You nut jobs complain either way.”