CNN reporter Jim Acosta on Sunday said he “politely” turned down an interview request to appear on former White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s new show.
"My sense of it is that Sean has crossed the line from being somebody who was a former press secretary from somebody who wants to resurrect his career and go on Fox News and bash CNN. And if he’s going to do that, I don’t think we should give him time to do that," Acosta told Brian Stelter on CNN’s “Reliable Sources.”
“If he wants to have a civil exchange, I’m willing to do that. But my feeling up until this point is that he’s just not willing to do that and until that happens I’m not willing to go into that situation.”
Spicer is developing a TV show in which he banters with guests about a variety of topics.
A spokesman for TV syndication company Debmar-Mercury told The New York Times last Monday that a pilot episode of the series, titled "Sean Spicer's Common Ground," is in the works.
A pitch sheet for the show’s pilot, obtained by the Times, describes Spicer hosting “some of the most interesting and thoughtful public figures for a drink and some lite conversation at a local pub or cafe.”
Spicer told the Times he thought it was “important to have a platform where we can have civil, respectful, and informative discussions on the issues of the day.”