Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta has drawn a stark comparison between Donald Trump's ambitious building projects in Washington D.C. and the "end days of Saddam Hussein," while also voicing concerns about the former president's mental and physical fitness.
Acosta made these remarks during an appearance on host Jack Cocchiarella’s podcast. When asked about Trump's "monuments and vanity projects," Acosta stated, "That’s what concerns me greatly, and this is like end days of Saddam Hussein that we’re seeing right now with the way he’s trying to build things and take over projects down in Washington, D.C."
The former CNN White House correspondent suggested that Trump's construction efforts were driven by a desire to control his historical legacy. "He’s doing these things because he knows deep down in his bones that he is going to be ranked probably the lowest among all presidents in American history," Acosta said.
Acosta also shared that he had more reservations about Trump's mental state than his physical condition. "I have more pause about his mental health than his physical health," he stated.
These comments followed Trump's Fourth of July celebration on the National Mall, an event the White House described as marking "250 years of American Independence."
Regarding Trump's condition, Acosta remarked, "I think that he’s obviously not the same person that I covered during the first term." He elaborated, "I don’t remember him falling asleep in the cabinet meetings and in the Oval Office as people are standing over his shoulder talking. I mean, that’s totally nuts."
Acosta further pointed to physical signs and public remarks as grounds for concern. "I think, you know, the bruises, the cankles, I mean, there’s lots of physical signs," he said. "I think that the incoherence, though to me, is the overriding theme here."
He also drew a parallel to the scrutiny faced by President Joe Biden, stating, "Joe Biden’s entire political career ended off of one of those comments. And Donald Trump does it. It’s like a regular occurrence over at the White House."
Acosta expressed a desire for more aggressive media coverage of Trump's health, urging mainstream outlets to "get a little bit more courage." He believes it is acceptable for journalists to report on "things that are apparent to our own eyes."
White House spokesman Davis Ingle issued a statement in response, accusing Democrats and the media of downplaying President Biden's decline while praising Trump's vigor. "President Trump’s sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in stark contrast to what we saw during the last administration when Democrats and the legacy media intentionally covered up Joe Biden’s serious mental and physical decline from the American people," Ingle said. "President Trump is the sharpest and most accessible president in American history who is working nonstop to solve problems and deliver on his promises."
Acosta argued that questions about Trump's public remarks and appearances carry "national security implications" and expressed a desire to know who is advising him on critical decisions. "I would like to know who it is that’s in the room with him on a regular basis when he’s making a lot of these decisions, in particular national security decisions," he added.