CNN White House reporter and infamous activist Jim Acosta made a “surprise” visit to a local bookstore in Virginia to sign copies of his new book, but it appears no one showed up.
“Surprise signing at Arlington, Virginia Barnes & Noble!” Acosta posted on Twitter on Wednesday, June 12.
Surprise signing at Arlington, Virginia Barnes & Noble! pic.twitter.com/8UCrbfwsQ4
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 13, 2019
People were quick to comment on social media that the photos showed a near-empty bookstore with no one lining up for autographs.
“Where’s the crowd?” one person asked.
“Wow! The crowds!! Did you need security?” singer Mindy Robinson commented.
Wow! The crowds!! Did you need security?
— Mindy Robinson ???????? (@iheartmindy) June 13, 2019
“We care about as much as this guy,” another commented, with a zoomed in crop of one of the photos showing a man browsing for books in a different section.
We care probably about as much as this guy. pic.twitter.com/OkR5dGOnpd
— CJ Duckworth (@cjduckworth_usa) June 13, 2019
Still another commented that a book signing consists of “when people purchase a book and wait in line to have the author sign it” instead of signing “books that haven’t been purchased.”
@Acosta — you showing up at a bookstore to sign books that haven’t been purchased yet isn’t considered a book signing. A book signing is when people purchase a book and wait in line to have the author to sign it. Nobody is buying your book, are they?
— Dave Mullen (@dmullen37) June 13, 2019
Recently, Acosta admitted that he is not neutral in his reporting, and argued that reporters shouldn’t be neutral during President Donald Trump’s time in office.
In his book, “A Dangerous Time to Tell the Truth in America” obtained by The Guardian, Acosta revealed that he is guilty of “grandstanding” and “showboating” while reporting, nothing that he “opts for the bait” when asking questions during Trump press conferences.
Acosta then referenced how some people suggest he is biased against the president by confirming their concerns.
“Neutrality for the sake of neutrality doesn’t really serve us in the age of Trump,” he wrote.
(Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Acosta has come under fire for making statements that are opinions.
For instance, he said that a migrant caravan violently crossing borders on its way to the United States “was not an invasion” while claiming that that the migrants would not climb over barriers to enter the country. Just weeks later, migrants tore down parts of the barrier separating the U.S. and Mexico while trying to storm the border.
Recently, a CNN employee told Fox News that Acosta is more of an activist than a reporter.
“Jim Acosta is, a lot of times, asking the right questions but it doesn’t always need to be about him and his grandstanding,” the CNN staffer said. “People get tired of it. Acosta is supposed to be a correspondent reporting the facts but you can’t tell the difference between him and a paid pundit.”
Meanwhile, another reporter, who covers the White House for a news organization, told Fox News that Acosta’s actions have affected other people.
“I support reporters—even irredeemably biased ones—having access to the White House,” the reporter said. “But Acosta should consider how his behavior affects the rest of the press corps, who are there to be taken seriously and report the news rather than to boost their own celebrity.”
Zachary Stieber contributed to this article.
