CNN’s chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta is working hard to blame Republicans for the impending government shutdown.
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Most CNN anchors and reporters have had a difficult time pinning the blame for a potential shutdown on Republicans because they do not have the 60 votes required in the Senate to pass a continuing resolution. Democrats have refused to vote for the CR unless Republicans add protections for DACA recipients.
Yet Acosta seems unable to grasp why Democrats might be to blame if the government shuts down.
During a White House press briefing on Friday, Acosta asked how the shutdown could be called the “Schumer Shutdown” when Republicans control Congress and the White House.
“C’mon, you know the answer to that,” OMB Director Mick Mulvaney told Acosta. “You know as well as anybody that it takes 60 votes. … When you only have 51 votes in the Senate, you have to have Democrat support.”
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The smackdown didn’t stop Acosta from repeating the same talking point on CNN just 10 minutes later.
“They’re trying to make this case that, well, because they need Democratic votes in the Senate … that this is somehow the responsibility of Democrats,” Acosta repeated. “That is going to be a hard sell when you have Republicans in charge of the White House, the House and the Senate.”
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Luckily, Acosta had some support for his absurd claim from CNN national political reporter Maeve Reston. Reston seemed surprised at a Quinnipiac poll that found more Americans thought Democrats would be to blame for the shutdown.
“More Americans said that they would blame Democrats for the shutdown than Republicans, which is really remarkable given that obviously Republicans are in control of the White House, both branches of Congress,” Reston said.
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