TV star war erupts as Jim Acosta mocks Jesse Watters for rapid aging

WASHINGTON, DC: Former CNN host Jim Acosta, 54, triggered another media skirmish this week by accusing Fox News host Jesse Watters, 47, of “aging rapidly” in an online tirade. The verbal exchange centres on the two figures’ recent spat over the White House ballroom project — and it draws on a rivalry that stretches back to 2019.

Jim Acosta fires fresh jabs at Jesse Watters

Acosta posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Rapidly aging Fox propagandist and outrage‑porn star @JesseBWatters has a major crush on me. Two segments in the last week. Dude take a cold shower. The feeling will go away. Maybe Sean can give you a hug? Also less makeup. A little too Madame Tussauds.”

The tweet included a screengrab of Watters in a Fox News segment. Acosta’s post was a response to Watters targeting him for criticizing the White House ballroom construction project. 

Jesse Watters mocks Jim Acosta over TDS

During an appearance on Jesse Watters Primetime last week, Fox News host Jesse Watters criticized Jim Acosta for overreacting to the White House ballroom project. He joked that “the Democrats are fighting over a ballroom,” adding that Acosta was “camping outside the White House in tears.” Watters linked Acosta’s behavior to what he called “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS), a term conservatives use to mock perceived liberal overreactions.

In a separate segment, Watters aired a photoshopped image of Acosta’s face on a baby’s body with the chyron “Baby Jim wins a TDS Award.” This image was later shared by Acosta in his response on X (formerly Twitter), escalating the ongoing feud between the two media personalities. 

Long‑running feud between Jim Acosta and Jesse Watters resurfaces

The tension between Acosta and Watters began in 2019 when Watters mocked Acosta for comparing himself to civil‑rights figures after his White House press pass was temporarily revoked following a confrontation with a White House intern. Since then, the pair have engaged in multiple public and on‑air clashes.

The latest exchange highlights the personal nature of their rivalry. Acosta frames himself as the aggrieved journalist, while Watters continues as the critic-in-chief from the right-wing media sphere. Both are using the spat to energize their audiences, keeping their decades‑long feud in the spotlight.