'Horse crap': CNN host confronts Georgia GOP chairman over election lies in heated exchange

An interview between CNN host Jim Acosta and Georgia Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon became unusually confrontational when the latter refused to admit the 2020 election was conducted fairly.

On Thursday, Acosta invited McKoon onto his program to talk about early voting in the Southern battleground state with Election Day looming in less than two weeks. But their conversation grew testy when McKoon asserted that the prominence of ballot drop boxes led to "irregularities" in the Peach State during the 2020 election, which former President Donald Trump narrowly lost.

"I can't let you go on too long because you're saying there are voting irregularities," Acosta interjected. "The Republican secretary of state Brad Raffensberger said that the election in 2020 was fair and square and that Joe Biden won. You dispute that still?"

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McKoon pushed back and said that while he appreciated Raffensberger's position, he disagreed, once again pointing to a 2020 decision by the state's election board that allowed for more ballot drop boxes given the dangers of the Covid-19 pandemic. He noted that there had been "tremendous steps" taken by Georgia's Republican-dominated legislature and Republican Governor Brian Kemp to make sure Georgia's 2024 election was secure.

He added that it would be an "orderly election" in contrast to 2020, which Acosta again pushed back on. The CNN host asked McKoon to react to the audio of Trump's call to Raffensberger, asking him to "find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, because we won the state." McKoon characterized it as Trump simply asking Raffensberger to conduct an investigation into reports of convicted felons voting, which Acosta immediately challenged.

"Yeah, Josh, no. That's not what happened," Acosta said, as McKoon continued to attempt to talk over him. "Let's play it one more time just in case, maybe the Zoom is off or something. If we can, control room, let's play the sound one more time. Josh, let's listen to it one more time."

Acosta played the audio again despite McKoon's protests. He reminded his guest that in the full call, Trump talked about "shredding ballots" and "removing machinery." McKoon insisted that the former president was "talking about voters who should not have been allowed to vote in the election." He then pivoted into accusing Acosta of setting him up, saying he was "asked on this program to speak about early voting in Georgia in the 2024 election and President Trump visiting the state yesterday."

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"This has been an entirely dishonest move to talk entirely about something that was not even discussed before I came on this program!" He said. "I know that y'all want to talk about 2020 because you know Trump's gonna win this election."

Acosta pointed out that the network was "well within our rights" to ask the Republican Party chair about whether he would accept the election result if Trump lost. He then asked again if he would accept the result of the Georgia election in November if it was unfavorable for Republicans.

"Look, I think this is a much more secure election than 2020. We don't have ballot drop boxes scattered randomly all over the state," McKoon said. Acosta then cut him off, reminding him that the state's Republican secretary of state "said that that was not the case and that it was a free and fair election and that it was secure."

"I'm just saying, Josh, what you're saying is horse crap," he said. "It's just horse crap."

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Watch the exchange between Acosta and McKoon below, or by clicking this link.