Social media dumbfounded as Jim Acosta quits on air — yet 'CNN rewards Scott Jennings'

Social media erupted Tuesday with users shocked and upset with CNN's decision to let anchor Jim Acosta go — while keeping conservative commentator Scott Jennings.

The ruckus started after Acosta announced on-air Tuesday morning that he was leaving the network after 18 years.

"You may have seen some reports about me and this show. And after giving all of this some careful consideration and weighing an alternative time slot CNN offered me, I have decided to move on,” Acosta said.

He continued, “I have always believed it’s the job of the press to hold power to account. I have always tried to do that here at CNN. I plan on doing all of that in the future. One final message: Don’t give in to the lies. Don’t give in to the fear. Hold on to the truth. And to hope, even if you have to get out your phone, record that message. I will not give in to the lies. I will not give in to the fear. Post it on your social media, so people can hear from you, too.”

CNN reportedly planned to move Acosta, a vocal MAGA critic, from his 10 a.m. ET slot to the graveyard shift.

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Acosta was immediately showered with praise on social media, with fan @jeffstorobinsky writing, "I speak on behalf of millions and millions of people here in the U.S. and worldwide who thank you for being amongst the very, very best in the business and setting the gold standard of journalism."

But social media bristled when they connected Acosta's firing with CNN's decision to keep brash conservative commentator Scott Jennings on the air — and things got ugly.

Political pundit @joncoopertweets wrote, "What moron at @CNN thought it was a brilliant idea to keep Scott Jennings on the network while pushing Jim Acosta to leave?"

Another user, @palazzo214, wrote, "CNN is keeping Scott Jennings while booting off Jim Acosta. My god how much America has fallen."

Writer @WajahatAli posted, "CNN rewards Scott Jennings who approves of Musk's Nazi salute, but refuses to do it on air, and lets go of Acosta. Yup, that tracks. Keep receipts of everyone who bent the knee to Trump and MAGA. This ship is ultimately going down. We all know it. Just a matter of when.

@marlene4719, who describes herself as a "Defender of Democracy," wrote, "I’ve known for a long time that CNN is going over to the dark side. By firing Jim Acosta while keeping Nazi Scott Jennings seals it. 'I will not give into the lies. I will not give into the fear.' ~ Jim Acosta."

Another writer, @kbeninato, posted, "CNN keeping Scott Jennings and booting Jim Acosta in 2025, the year known for Project 2025, sticks a fork in whatever's left of that network. It's done."

Jennings hasn't commented on the reaction.

Watch Acosta's announcement below via X.