Jim Acosta says Trump White House 'down to Kool-Aid drinkers and next of kin', Internet calls it best one-liner
CNN's White House Correspondent, Jim Acosta lambasted President Donald Trump's Rose Garden campaign-like speech on Tuesday, July 14 as the POTUS launched another attack on Democratic Presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden. In what was initially billed as a press conference to announce sanctions on China, the president said, "Today, Joe Biden gave a speech in which he said that the core of his economic agenda is a hard-left crusade against American energy. He wants to kill American energy," targeting Biden's newly-unveiled $2 trillion plan to tackle climate change.
Biden's new plan aims to achieve a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and upgrade 4 million buildings and weatherize 2 million homes over four years to increase energy efficiency. The proposal would seek to shift major cities toward public transportation and "create millions of good, union jobs rebuilding America's crumbling infrastructure," according to Biden's campaign. The proposal also includes environmental justice components, such as creating an Environmental and Climate Justice Division within the Department of Justice.
While speaking to Anderson Cooper on CNN, Acosta criticized Trump for using the Rose Garden to launch political attacks, saying, "Presidents do not use the Rose Garden in that kind of naked political fashion. That was not a press conference, as the WH described it. It was a campaign rally disguised as a press conference. It was a bait and switch.”
When Cooper asked Acosta if there was "anyone around the president who shakes their head when they hear rambling in the Rose Garden like this," he answered with what has become the Internet's new favorite catchphrase. Acosta replied, "No, Anderson, we’re down to Kool-Aid drinkers and next of kin here at the Trump White House. There are no more adults that will level with the president and tell him he can’t deliver a rally-like rant in the Rose Garden as he did earlier.”
Many detractors of Donald Trump took to social media to praise Acosta for his quick remarks to describe the Trump administration. One user tweeted, "Today Jim Acosta (@Acosta) gifted America with one of the best lines ever—because it was entirely true—about the current state of the Trump administration." Another wrote, "Need a tee shirt with this saying #koolaiddrinkersandnextofkin." A user simply tweeted, "This is priceless!"
One user wrote, "Kool-aid drinkers and next of kin!! the best phrase for 2020! Jim Acosta." Another shared, "I still can’t believe Jim Acosta said that we are down to Kool-Aid drinkers and next of kin in the Republican Party. We need more of this. A lot more of this." A user opined, "Hey Jim Acosta if only the kool-aid drinkers would know how liberated they would be once they actually stopped drinking that MAGA Koolaid like I did. Because I can tell you it’s been liberating and worth it."
However, many of Trump's supporters criticized Acosta for his statement. One user tweeted, "This is disgraceful what Jim Acosta has said. While I didn't vote for Trump nor agree with him on policies, this is still disgraceful. How can he even be considered a journalist? Or even CNN a respectable news outlet anymore? #JimAcosta." Another wrote, "In case you weren’t yet convinced that CNN was fake news Jim Acosta once again has confirmed it."