Among other things, CNN’s Jim Acosta has a patented inabilty to accept the truth about his anti-Trump rantings even when it smacks him in the face, spreads dangerously false narratives when convenient, and, well, sometimes he gets so bad that even others on his own network have to step in to correct him.

Along with that are his weird – and well-documented – obsessions with Tucker Carlson, Fox News, and the House and Senate Republicans who raised objections on January 6th to certifying Electoral College votes in certain states.

Over the weekend, desperate for material for his low-rated weekend program on CNN, Acosta made the trek to Washington, D.C. to talk to some of those Republicans, including freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), as my colleague Bonchie reported Sunday.

But while Greene engaged, another Republican – Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks – was not interested. Acosta found Brooks getting on his bike, presumably to head to his residence, and proceeded to ask if they could “talk about January 6th.”

Brooks responds to each question Acosta had by telling him in so many words that he does not trust CNN to report what he says accurately. Because the audio on the video is hard to hear, here’s the transcript of the exchange:

Acosta: “So take the bike to work, huh?”
Brooks: “Sometimes.”
Acosta: “Congressman, is there any way we can get you to talk about January 6th?”
Brooks: “I do not do interviews with CNN because I do not trust CNN to be honorable or truthful.”
Acosta: “Well, can I ask you do you still believe Antifa was behind January 6th?”
Brooks: “I’ve already said what I’m going to say. I don’t trust y’all to be truthful or honest.”
Acosta: “Well, can you tell us if you if you regret what you said on January 6th?”
Brooks: “I do not trust CNN to be truthful or honest, so I do no interviews with CNN.”
Acosta: “I’m just asking you questions. I’m asking you fair questions here, sir. Why can’t you answer the question?”
Brooks: “I do not trust y’all to be truthful or honest with anything CNN does.”
Acosta: “It’s on video. If you would just talk to us for a moment.”
Brooks: “See ya, oh you guys will lie through your teeth any chance you get.”
Acosta: “Well, give you the chance to come on if you don’t mind.”

Watch:

Mo Brooks gives a master class in how to talk to CNN.
pic.twitter.com/oCGoWapK6s

— Rising serpent 🇺🇸 (@rising_serpent) June 27, 2021

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) had what I felt was the appropriate response to critics who said Brooks should have engaged with Acosta:

If @cnn persists in being dishonest propagandists, they’re going to find more & more Republicans unwilling to talk to them.

Just a few years ago, CNN pretended to be journalists. Apparently, Jeff Zucker decided they’d rather compete w/ MSNBC for the tiny sliver of the hard Left. https://t.co/5ZgtblWCaM

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 27, 2021

While I’m an advocate for being willing to go into the lion’s den to make your case, Acosta is the kind of “journalist” whose bad reputation and massively overinflated ego enters a room (and an interview) way before he does. I don’t blame Brooks or any other Republican who basically tells him or any of his other CNN colleagues to shove off when they request interviews.

Their penchant for “reporting” stories that end up being fake news, and for taking Republicans out of context and smearing them has become notorious and legendary. Maybe by Republicans not rewarding their bad behavior with an interview CNN will learn the error of their ways, but I kinda doubt it.

Flashback: Jim Acosta Plays ‘Anonymous Sources’ Game With a Trump Story, Then Trump Completely Undercuts Him