“I’ll tell you what, CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them ... You shouldn’t be working for CNN,” Trump said to Acosta.

In a series of statements on Twitter, Sanders characterized Acosta’s actions as “placing his hands on a young woman,” though video of the exchange shows Acosta turning away from her as the intern reaches over his arm to take the microphone from his hand.

“This is a lie,” Acosta tweeted back at Sanders.

Reporters quickly began defending Acosta and denounced the accusation Sanders lodged at him.