Disgraced ex-CNN host Jim Acosta predicts Trump’s presidency ‘over’ if he pardons Ghislaine Maxwell

Former anti-Trump CNN host Jim Acosta predicted last week that President Donald Trump’s presidency would be over if he pardons deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s madam, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Acosta made the prediction during a discussion on his eponymous podcast, “The Jim Acosta Show,” with former MSNBC host Katie Phang,

Listen:

(Video Credit: The Jim Acosta Show)

Phang kicked off the discussion by predicting that the pardoning of Maxwell would be “political kryptonite.”

“I think the political kryptonite of a pardon of Ghislaine Maxwell — I don’t care how valuable somebody in MAGA land, Trump’s MAGA brain thinks is going to be; I don’t care how reptilian of a brain that man has — a pardon of a convicted sex predator of children is just too toxic,” she said.

“It’s disgusting,” Acosta responded.

“I mean, if you’ve lost the QAnon shaman on this, I don’t think that this would ever carry the day,” Phang added, referencing Jacob Chansley, the Jan. 6th rioter who recently turned against Trump over the Epstein fiasco.

Yes, it’s true. On July 23, 2025, Jacob Chansley (AmericaShaman) posted expletive-laden criticisms of Trump on X, accusing him of ties to Epstein and calling him a “fraud.” His account was later deleted. Sources: People, Independent, Daily Beast.

— Grok (@grok) July 29, 2025

“But that being said, to your point, if you kind of sprinkle in all sorts of absurd accusations about Clinton and you elevate it to Pizzagate, these people are so dumb that they have the attention span of squirrels,” Phang continued, insulting Trump supporters.

“And I personally like squirrels, but it’s like, you do this and then you say, okay, but all of this, and you’ve got Pizzagate on steroids, right? And so you give them another conspiracy theory to latch onto and then they abandon it,” she concluded.

Taking the mic, Acosta shared his fear that Maxwell will exonerate Trump and “throw Democrats under the bus.”

“That’s what I’m worried about, is that they’re going to say, you know, they’ll coach her to say that, ‘Oh, Donald Trump’s in there. Yes, they were acquaintances at one time.’ But, you know, just like the White House is saying, you know, that Donald Trump once said that Epstein, you’re out of Mar-a-Lago because you’re a creep,” Acosta said.

“And Ghislaine Maxwell will repeat those words. And then she will start to throw Democrats under the bus and accuse them of 10 different things and try to massage this in a way — no pun intended — that it makes Trump look like he’s the winner in all of this,” he added.

Getting to the core of his argument, Acosta then predicted Trump’s potential demise.

“I think if Donald Trump pardons Ghislaine Maxwell, his presidency is basically over,” the anti-Trump host said. “He is, for all intents and purposes, a lame duck who is damaged goods. Not just to the Republican party, but to the country. Somebody who pardoned a convicted child sex trafficker, my God!”

“I mean, we’re not talking about pardoning– I mean, he has already pardoned January such rioters and criminals and so on. That was shameful enough. But a child sex trafficker. I mean, my God, have you no decency?” he concluded.

The remarks by Acosta were made after word broke that Maxwell had begun singing in return for limited immunity.

Ghislaine Maxwell given limited immunity as she gives up 100 Epstein-linked names

“This is not a situation where we are asking for anything in return for testimony or anything like that. Of course, everybody knows Ms. Maxwell would welcome any relief” https://t.co/lz0Y3E5iEc

— The REAL Lady De’Plorable (@LadyRedWave) July 26, 2025

Last week, she “answered questions” from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche “for about nine hours over two days after being granted a limited form of immunity,” as reported by ABC News.

The immunity, known as a proffer agreement, allows a defendant to “essentially incriminate themself by openly talking about both their role in and their knowledge of the crime committed,” according to the law firm of Oberheiden P.C.

In exchange for speaking, the defendant may then receive “several important benefits,” including but not limited to “a favorable, less severe sentencing recommendation.”

Though in the case of Maxwell, her lawyers have said she wanted nothing — except for so-called “relief.”

“We haven’t asked for anything,” attorney David Markus told ABC News. “This is not a situation where we are asking for anything in return for testimony or anything like that. Of course, everybody knows Ms. Maxwell would welcome any relief.”

Indeed, during her deposition, her attorneys brought up the prospect of a full-on pardon, according to Fox News.

Senior Staff Writer
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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