Jim Acosta warns ‘pandemic of cowardice’ is creating a MAGA comeback — and encouraging future violence

CNN chief domestic correspondent Jim Acosta called out Republicans on Wednesday for refusing to stand up to the violent extremism gripping the party.

"We don't need more evidence," CNN's Brianna Keilar said. "We know there was an attempted coup, a failed coup, but just the headlines that are piling up here to support that, it seems endless."

"Yeah, we had a coup attempt in this country," Acosta said. "We have to come to grips with that, deal with that reality and we have to get to the bottom of it. I was talking to a couple of sources on the January 6th committee, one of these sources said unless Merrick Garland acts and compels these witnesses to testify, that is going to severely undercut the strength of the committee."

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In Acosta's view, it is not just the Department of Justice that is failing at responding.

"What we're dealing with right now is a cowardice pandemic. We have Republicans who are unwilling to police their own ranks. And until we have that day come, we're going to be caught in the grips of the MAGA comeback and they're coming back and mainly because we're letting them come back," he warned. "Not that there is anything wrong with a political movement rising up in this country, but at the heart of it, when at the heart of it is a coup attempt, and people who want to undermine our democracy, there is a very serious problem."

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