The White House condemned former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta as a “disgraceful human being” after he made jokes about President Donald Trump’s deceased ex-wife Ivana Trump during a podcast appearance on Monday, June 16.
Acosta appeared on “The Contrarian” podcast with hosts Jennifer Rubin and April Ryan for their “No Kings” Day episode, where he criticized Trump’s immigration policies and ICE raids. During the discussion, he referenced Trump’s history of marrying immigrants, including his late first wife Ivana, who died in 2022 and is buried at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The former White House correspondent questioned where ICE raids were at Trump properties, asking whether officials could call ICE on the Trump golf course in Virginia. He suggested there might be undocumented workers or issues with paperwork at these locations.
Acosta then made remarks about Trump’s immigrant wives, specifically referencing Ivana’s burial site. He asked how many immigrants Trump had married, noting that he had one buried at his golf course in New Jersey near the first hole or second tee. Acosta concluded with “Immigrants always doing the jobs that Americans don’t want to do,” which prompted laughter from his co-hosts.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to the comments when contacted by Fox News Digital. Ivana Trump was the mother of Trump’s three eldest children: Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric.
The controversy emerged during a period of heightened tensions over immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, California, where ICE has been conducting raids throughout the sanctuary city. The Los Angeles Police Department reported arresting 575 individuals since the first weekend of protests, with authorities battling protesters who hurled projectiles, set fire to cars and launched fireworks at police officers.
Ten members of law enforcement reported injuries, according to the LAPD. The protests occurred in response to the federal immigration raids being conducted in the city.
Acosta left CNN in January after serving as the network’s chief White House correspondent during Trump’s first administration. He became known as one of Trump’s fiercest critics, often mixing on-air editorializing with his reporting. Trump celebrated Acosta’s departure from the network in his initial response shared on his Truth Social account in January.
Trump wrote that Acosta was one of the worst and most dishonest reporters in journalistic history, calling him a major sleazebag who had been relegated by CNN to the midnight hour due to extraordinarily bad ratings. Trump indicated that word was Acosta wanted to quit, which would be even better, calling him a major loser who would fail regardless of where he ended up.
During Acosta’s sign-off in January, he referenced Trump while advising viewers not to give into lies or fear, telling them to hold onto truth and hope. He eventually referred to Trump as a tyrant during his final broadcast.
This incident recalls previous confrontations between Acosta and the Trump administration. During Trump’s first term in 2018, the White House revoked Acosta’s press credentials after he pressed Trump for answers at a press conference. CNN sued the administration, and three days after the lawsuit was filed, a federal judge ordered the White House to reinstate Acosta’s press pass.
The current controversy was flagged on social media by journalist Jason Cohen, who shared the clip from the podcast appearance. The remarks quickly drew outrage from conservative commentators and Trump supporters online.
Acosta has maintained his stridently left-wing tone since going independent this year after leaving CNN. The network had moved him from his prime-time slot to weekend programming before his eventual departure from the organization.
The incident occurs amid broader tensions between the Trump administration and various news organizations over coverage of immigration policies and other issues. The administration has been critical of media coverage it considers unfavorable or inaccurate.
Ivana Trump, a native of then-Czechoslovakia, was Trump’s first wife and played a significant role in his early business ventures. Her burial at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster has drawn media attention in the past, but Acosta’s comments marked a rare moment of partisan ridicule aimed directly at her.
