Former CNN producer Steve Krakauer slammed CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta on Sunday for his persistent anti-Trump grandstanding that he says makes "all in the press look bad" and actually helps the president.

In a media newsletter Sunday, Krakauer called out Acosta for trying to promote his personal brand rather than behave like a real journalist, and even suggested that Acosta's actions are "actively helping Trump get re-elected."

"I don't think CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta is a bad guy," Krakauer wrote in The Fourth Watch, his media watchdog newsletter. "I worked with him at CNN, and he was a solid, competent reporter. If Acosta's goal was to be a great White House reporter, he could probably do it."

"But that's not Jim Acosta's goal. Jim Acosta wants to be famous," he continued. "I've written before, three years ago, that Acosta clearly aspires to use this opportunity to spar with President Trump, #Resistance Signal on Twitter and generally build his brand to move on to bigger things — a prime time show maybe, or at least a few late-night TV appearances."

Krakauer then posted a screenshot of Acosta's Twitter profile background from 2019 when he was on tour promoting his anti-Trump book: "The Enemy of the People." Acosta can be seen smiling next to Jimmy Kimmel during an appearance on Kimmel's late-night show.

"Jim Acosta loves nothing more than Jim Acosta," the ex-CNN producer said.

Krakauer then suggested tongue-in-cheek that he wouldn't be surprised if years later he found out "Acosta was actually a plant and was secretly working for the Trump re-election campaign."

Case in point, last Friday afternoon's skirmish with Trump over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Watch how Acosta plays the role of absurd, antagonistic journalist, and tees up Trump to deliver what could essentially be a campaign message," Krakauer said of the exchange. "Then Trump jumps in, and counters every point."

"Trump couldn't ask for a better foe than Jim Acosta," he concluded.

Here's the back-and-forth referred to in the newsletter:

Trump lashes out at CNN's Acosta: 'I don't believe you're that bad of a guy' youtu.be

(H/T: The Daily Wire)