Jim Acosta: ‘I Dare’ Trump To Have a Sit Down Interview with Me

‘You know, it’s not as if we’re going to go in there, you know, kamikaze’

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CNN's Jim Acosta is "daring" President Trump to have one-on-one, sit-down interview with him. 

"I dare him to sit down for an interview with me," Acosta told ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Wednesday night. 

Acosta said he wouldn't try to pummel Trump if given the opportunity, saying he would adhere to CNN's standard of simply pursuing the news: "You know, listen, it’s not as if we’re going to go in there, you know, kamikaze, ramming speed. You know, we would do what we always do. Which is do the news."

However he predicted it wouldn't happen: "I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. I don’t want to blow up the world."

CNN's chief White House reporter also attacked Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, accusing them of lying to the American people: "If they’re going to lie to the American people, those lies come with consequences. And it’s our job, and listen, they can play all the games they want and not call on me. There’s going to be somebody else who’s going to come in. I have other colleagues who ask hard questions as well. And, you know, we’re just not going to stop."

Acosta then boasted about his attempt at asking Trump a question at this year White House Easter Egg Roll, when he infamously shouted at Trump while he was drawing pictures with children. Acosta said the White House erred in accidentally placing him in a position where he was able to scream his question at Trump.

Here's a transcript of the exchange:

KIMMEL: "What was the moment you realized — I know we suspected that there would be a lot of nonsense going into this. Where you realized, oh, this is going to be very different?"
ACOSTA: "I mean, listen, during the campaign, you know, he would call us the disgusting news media, the dishonest news media, scum, liars, thieves, criminals, so on."
KIMMEL: "That just means he has a crush on you."
[Laughter]
ACOSTA: "That is. There was one press conference he called me a real beauty. I thought, what’s happening here? Is this a good thing, a bad thing?"
KIMMEL: "It’s not a good thing."
ACOSTA: "It’s not a good thing, no. But you know, listen. They can intimidate us."
KIMMEL: "When Sean Spicer started off with the crowd size thing."
ACOSTA: "Right."
KIMMEL: "That had to be —"
ACOSTA: "A little jarring. When he said, this is the biggest inauguration crowd size in the history of mankind or something like that. I mean, the thing that was absurd about the whole thing, first of all, it was on the first full day of the administration. People forget that. Right after the president went to the CIA, stood before a memorial to fallen CIA agents, went after the press, accused of misreporting the inaugural crowd size. Sean Spicer gives all these statements to us, doesn’t take any questions, leaves the room. He says things we ended up being able to prove false. He said, this was the first time they were using white ground coverings that made it look like the crowd was smaller. We found white ground coverings on the mall at Obama’s second inaugural, so on."
KIMMEL: "Do you ever feel sorry for Sean Spicer, Sarah Sanders, for having to be in that spot defending things that they must know some of these things are either not true or nonsensical."
ACOSTA: "I mean, this is a — it’s a serious question. I mean, it’s one of those questions where I could throw out a zinger and go after Sean. My sense of it is that, listen, they’ve signed up for this. If they’re going to lie to the American people, those lies come with consequences. And it’s our job, and listen, they can play all the games they want and not call on me. There’s going to be somebody else who’s going to come in. I have other colleagues who ask hard questions as well. And, you know, we’re just not going to stop. At the White House Easter egg roll, for example, the president made the statement about DACA, said DACA is dead. The Democrats killed DACA. So at the White House Easter egg roll, he doesn’t take questions from me very often. I went out there, determined to get this question to him. First the White House people go, Jim, Jim, CNN, you’re over here. They moved me to this side of the White House south lawn. No Jim, you’re over here. Moved me to this other side. They moved me three times, Jimmy, before I finally was in the spot where they wanted me. And then, out of nowhere, here comes the president. He walked right into a perfect spot by the third time they had moved me, I was in the perfect spot to ask the question. So they had screwed themselves, basically."
[Cheers and applause]
KIMMEL: "Will there ever be a scenario where you get to interview the president one on one?"
ACOSTA: "I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. I don’t want to blow up the world."
KIMMEL: "Why, do you think he’s scared to sit down with you one on one?"
ACOSTA: "You know, listen. I was with Sam Donaldson the other day. I met Sam Donaldson --first time I’d ever met him."
KIMMEL: "Really, wow."
ACOSTA: "White House correspondent for ABC, legendary reporter."
KIMMEL: "Sure."
ACOSTA: "And you know, somebody asked him, if you were to sit down with the president, what would you ask? He said, I’d just ask the questions of the day. Which is what I would do. I’d ask him the questions of the day."
KIMMEL: "Do you dare the president to sit down for an interview with you?"
ACOSTA: "I dare him to sit down for an interview with me. You know, listen, it’s not as if we’re going to go in there, you know, kamikaze, ramming speed. You know, we would do what we always do. Which is do the news."
KIMMEL: "All right. Well, I’m enjoying you tormenting them. I will say that. It’s a small consolation, it really is."
ACOSTA: "It’s a living, it pays the bills."
KIMMEL: "Jim Acosta from CNN. Watch his White House coverage every day on CNN. Be right back with Beach House!"

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