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CNN’s Acosta, Former Trump Aide, Trade Barbs Over Hegseth Nomination

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


CNN anchor Jim Acosta and David Urban, a former Trump aide-turned-CNN analyst, clashed on Wednesday over whether Fox News host Pete Hegseth adequately condemned the January 6 rioters at the time of the attack.

Hegseth, the host of Fox & Friends Weekend and President-elect Donald Trump’s recently announced pick to lead the Department of Defense, is facing renewed scrutiny over his past comments but mostly from far-left TV talking heads.

During his Wednesday show, Acosta played some of those comments — taken from Hegseth’s reporting on January 7, 2021 — and argued with Urban’s insistence that Hegseth did denounce those who rioted.

Here’s the exchange, via Mediaite:

JIM ACOSTA: Yeah. And I do also want to say, you know, Pete Hegseth, when he was at Fox, was praising some of the stop the steel protesters on January 6th. And I want to play some of that and get your reaction, David.

PETE HEGSETH: Reporting for Fox and Friends yesterday morning on the ground. I said a couple of times, you know, this feels like a constitutional tinderbox. It had that feel to it. But it wasn’t because Donald Trump gave a speech and then told people to do something at the Capitol. That’s not what happened.

This is the result of of of of a, you know, a frustration that a lot of people feel that I frankly wasn’t surprised. I’m not saying it’s okay. I’m not saying all those things, but the images didn’t shock me.

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JIM ACOSTA: David. I mean, you know, I’m just wondering what your reaction to that is. I mean, shouldn’t you, shouldn’t the future defense secretary blast those rioters for the violence–.

DAVID URBAN: (overtalking) He said– he said– he said it’s not– He did!

JIM ACOSTA: –That you saw, the violence that we saw that day? No, he didn’t!

DAVID URBAN: No, he did. He is Jim, he just said, listen, you want to roll the tape again? He said “It’s not okay. I’m not saying it’s okay. I’m not saying it’s all right.”.

Listen, I condemn that those those images you showed? Anybody that assaults a police officer should go to jail. Anybody who breaks the law like that, anyone who’s who is assaulting a police officer should be punished. Okay?

There should be no– I have no I have no you know, I have no sympathy for any of that.

Now, flip to the other side of the Capitol and you know this, Jim. We– you watch the tapes. You’re a smart guy on the other side of the Capitol, on the Supreme Court side of the Capitol. There was a war waging on one side of the Capitol, which I applaud the Capitol Police for their restraint and their heroism in that, because.

JIM ACOSTA: It sounds to me.

DAVID URBAN: Jim hold on–.

JIM ACOSTA: It does sound as though he is he is excusing it to a large extent, and perhaps he’ll be asked about it during his confirmation hearings–.

DAVID URBAN: He was Jim. He was condemn–. Jim he condemned it. He’ll be asked.

JIM ACOSTA: Alright we’ll stay tuned for that. We’ll be right back.

WATCH:

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Trump announced Hegseth’s nomination on Tuesday.

“I am honored to announce that I have nominated Pete Hegseth to serve in my Cabinet as The Secretary of Defense. Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down,” Trump said in the statement.

“Pete is a graduate of Princeton University, and has a Graduate Degree from Harvard University. He is an Army Combat Veteran who did tours in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan. For his actions on the battlefield, he was decorated with two Bronze Stars, as well as a Combat Infantryman’s Badge. Pete has been a host at FOX News for eight years, where he used that platform to fight for our Military and Veterans. Pete’s recent book, “The War on Warriors,” spent nine weeks on the New York Times best-sellers list, including two weeks at NUMBER ONE,” he added.

Trump concluded, “The book reveals the leftwing betrayal of our Warriors, and how we must return our Military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence. Pete has also led two Veterans Advocacy organizations, leading the fight for our Warriors, and our great Veterans. Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy.”

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