Acosta Mocks Trump’s Arizona Rally Appearance: ‘Still Doing the Sad Elvis Bit Ranting and Raving’ About 2020 Election
CNN’s Jim Acosta mocked former President Donald Trump for “still doing the sad Elvis bit” during his Saturday appearance at his “Save America” rally in Arizona.
“It was the same old lies and same old lies at Donald Trump’s first rally of 2022,” Acosta said. “Spoiler, he’s still doing the sad Elvis bit, ranting and raving about the last election. Behold, Grievance Groundhog Day, take 439.”
“Grievance Groundhog Day” may be a favorite expression of Acosta’s, as he has referenced Trump’s claims using that exact phrase before — a fact that could help explain why this was “take 439.”
Acosta then played a clip, in which Trump continued to falsely claim that the 2020 election was “rigged.” (An Associated Press review found fewer than 475 cases of voter fraud in six battleground states — a number that would not have changed the election’s outcome).
“Last year, we had a rigged election and the proof is all over the place,” Trump said. “We have a lot of proof and they know it’s proof. They always talk about the ‘Big Lie,’ they’re the Big Lie.”
He added moments later, “The Big Lie is a lot of bullshit, that’s what it is.”
After playing the clip, Acosta brought on Olivia Troye, a former adviser to Vice President Mike Pence who resigned from the White House in August 2020.
Troye started by saying she and several other former Trump administration officials who want to stymie the former president’s influence in the Republican party held a meeting recently.
“It was very clear that there is grave concern amongst these circles about what is happening, about the fact that Trump continues to play such a significant role in influencing our U.S. politics, and also what it means for this movement that continues to follow him,” she said.
Acosta then asked Troye about her reaction to Pence’s Washington Post op-ed, in which he argues against voting rights reforms and reaffirms his actions on, and condemnation of, Jan. 6.
“I read that op-ed and while I was, like, okay, finally, you’re actually publicly acknowledging that this was an angry mob and it was a dangerous situation that day,” Troye said. “But then he doubles back on the claims of election integrity, which is basically code for the Big Lie. So when he does that, he’s by de facto enabling it. ”
She later added: “He is right now scrambling to figure out where his political home is in the Republican party. And look, it’s a party of Trumpism right now. And the sooner Mike Pence realizes this and comes to the conclusion that 2024 is an extreme long shot for him, the better it will be.”
Watch above, via CNN.
