Spicer Slams CNN Reporter's 'False Recollection'

Incoming Press Secretary Sean Spicer Thursday slammed CNN reporter Jim Acosta for his comments and actions during President-elect Donald Trump's press conference, but denied the journalist's claims that he'd threatened to throw him out of the event.

"I think Jim Acosta has a very, very false recollection of the facts," Spicer told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program. "He verbally went after the president of the United States, was aggressive with him, inappropriate, rude, disrespectful to say the least. He shouted down a well-respected, long-time journalist who was asking a question."

Acosta, though, claimed that Spicer told him that if he continued to try to ask his question, he'd be "thrown out of that news conference . . . I have covered four presidential campaigns, I covered President [Barack] Obama at the White House. I never had a press secretary to threaten throw me out of a news conference. That is a first. Not a good sign of things to come."

However, Spicer said that after the event was over, he walked up to Acosta and told him that "his behavior was unbecoming, disrespectful, rude, inappropriate, and unbecoming of someone addressing the president or president-elect of the United States.

"If it happened again in the future, yes I would remove him. But I tried to remove him during a press conference is patently false. I think he owes an apology to the president-elect, to his fellow members of the press corps and to Mara Liasson doing her job to ask a question in a respectful, polite manner."

During the press conference Wednesday afternoon, Trump told Acosta that he was being rude, and that he would not accept a question from him because CNN was a purveyor of "fake news."

"He frankly doesn't represent the press corps," Spicer said Thursday. "I know many journalists feel the same way."

Spicer also slammed BuzzFeed for publishing an unsubstantiated document alleging connections between Trump and his staff and Russia.

"If you look how quick BuzzFeed's failing, I'm not sure they will be around by the time we take office next week," said Spicer.

"Their trajectory downward is going rather quick. That being the case, should they end up coming to the briefing room the president-elect doesn't stand down from anybody.

"He will take any question. He is committed to this country, moving it forward, lifting up people out of poverty and spurring economic growth."

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