CNN reporter to Trump: ‘I don’t hate you’

A CNN reporter whom President Trump refused to take a question from last month sought to bury the hatchet on Thursday.

“Just for the record, we don’t hate you. I don’t hate you. Just wanted to pass that along if I can,” CNN’s Jim Acosta said before asking the president a question.

Trump responded by telling Acosta to “ask Jeff Zucker how he got his job.”

Zucker, who heads CNN, was president of NBC Universal when Trump began his hosting duties on “The Apprentice” in 2004. 

{mosads}Acosta and Trump have frequently sparred at past press conferences, and the president has traded barbs with CNN, which he sometimes says reports “fake news.”

Later, after Acosta attempted to ask two questions before Trump could respond, the president cautioned him on time. 

“We do have other people,” Trump said. “Your ratings aren’t as good as the people that are waiting.”

Acosta chuckled before responding, “We’re doing pretty good right now, actually.”

Acosta then asked a question about why Trump welcomed WikiLeaks email dumps but railed against leaks that led to the resignation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn. 

Trump responded by saying it was an apples-and-oranges comparison and that the WikiLeaks dump didn’t include classified information. 

“So in one case you’re talking about highly classified information. In the other case, you’re talking about John Podesta saying bad things about the boss,” said Trump, referring to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman.

Trump later lamented the “hatred” and “tone” of CNN, particularly Don Lemon’s “CNN Tonight,” for having what he characterized as anti-Trump, unbalanced panels. 

Trump also praised the Fox News morning program, “Fox and Friends,” calling the hosts “honorable people.”

In another light moment, he joked that he wanted to make sure his new nominee to lead the Labor Department, Alexander Acosta, was not related to CNN’s Acosta.