'Your tweet is Exhibit A': Former FBI agent and CNN analyst accuses Sarah Sanders of libel over Jim Acosta video

Greg P. | 11:02 AM on November 08, 2018

If the Jim Acosta–White House drama wasn’t bad enough, now we have former FBI agent and current CNN analyst Asha Rangappa accusing Sarah Sanders of libel over the alleged “doctored video” she tweeted last night:

.@PressSec you are seriously tweeting out an obviously doctored video – from InfoWars no less – to substantiate a false accusation of assault against a journalist???

The standard for libel against a public figure is acting with “actual malice,” and your tweet is Exhibit A. https://t.co/G6JKx3ZrpN

— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) November 8, 2018

And liberal John Aravosis is questioning why Twitter won’t take action against Sanders for tweeting the video:

How is this not a violation of Twitter’s rules? First, sharing content from a user who’s been banned. Second, sharing faked content in order to defame another Twitter user. @jack @TwitterSupport https://t.co/7ksqFrJAKW

— John AraVOTEsis ?? (@aravosis) November 8, 2018

We will assume the White House didn’t know the video came from InfoWars, but that question is out there and it won’t just go away today:

Question for @PressSec: Where'd you obtain the distorted @Acosta video you posted? InfoWars personality @PrisonPlanet posted the same video two hours before you did. Surely you don't trust InfoWars…?

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 8, 2018

Yes, the White House press office is sharing a manipulated video that makes it appear that Acosta was menacing the intern when he was not and did not. The intern reached over Acosta to grab the microphone while he was trying to ask another q and Acosta tried to pull away. https://t.co/2cqjHSYmr4

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 8, 2018