President Donald Trump grew angry with several reporters at his press conference following Tuesday's midterms elections, at one point telling CNN's Jim Acosta he was a "rude, terrible person" and the network should be ashamed to employ him.
Trump took questions following Democrats flipping the House back to their party for the first time since 2010. He downplayed their gains and touted Senate Republicans whom he campaigned for expanding their majority.
Acosta, a frequent White House critic who has taken exception to Trump's press attacks, asked Trump about his remark calling the migrant caravan from Central America an "invasion," telling the president that wasn't an accurate characterization.
"You and I have a difference of opinion," Trump said.
Acosta asked Trump if he thought he had demonized immigrants in the closing days of his campaign, but Trump responded he wanted immigrants to come in legally as the two frequent sparring partners spoke over each other. Acosta brought up the Trump ad that his network and others, including Fox News, refused to air as racist; it tied an illegal immigrant murderer to the caravan and warned of a Democratic takeover.
"Do you think they were actors? ... I think you should let me run the country, and you run CNN," Trump said.
Trump wanted to move onto another reporter, but Acosta wouldn't give up the microphone when an aide sought to tug it away from him. He sought to ask a question about the Russia investigation, but Trump said he didn't have any worry about the "hoax" and told him to put down the microphone.
"CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them," Trump said to Acosta. "You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn't be working for CNN. You are a very rude person. The way you treat Sarah Huckabee [Sanders] is horrible."
NBC's Peter Alexander defended Acosta, saying he is a diligent reporter, but Trump told Alexander he wasn't a fan of his, either.
"When you report fake news, which CNN does a lot, you are the enemy of the people," Trump said to Acosta when he protested again.
Trump also barked at April Ryan, another frequent White House critic, repeatedly telling her to sit down and not speak out of turn.
"It is such a hostile media," he said. "And it is so sad that you asked me, and no, you rudely interrupted him. You rudely interrupted him."