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The BBC's Emily Maitlis has defended Donald Trump over his row with CNN's Jim Acosta at a press conference following the US Midterms.

The Newsnight presenter wrote a blog entitled "The Acosta affair: An unpopular opinion".

It follows a standoff between the journalist who wanted to keep asking questions and the President who had decided Mr Acosta had had his turn.

The row quickly escalated with Mr Trump launching a personal attack on Mr Acosta calling him "mean" and even accusing CNN of being the "enemy of the people".

But Ms Maitlis dismissed the claims that the US President's attempts to stop the CNN journalist asking further questions was an attack on press freedom.

Instead she said that he was 'hogging' the microphone in the press conference.

Ms Maitlis wrote: "What happened in that room was not the ultimate fight for press freedom.

(Image: REUTERS)

"This wasn't someone risking life and limb against a regime where freedom of speech is forbidden.

"This was a bloke sitting in a room full of colleagues who were all trying to ask questions too.

"This was a man who'd had his turn and had been told he couldn't hog the whole time."

The veteran broadcaster emphasised how the President spent 90 minutes allowing journalists to quiz him.

She added: "He was called on by Donald Trump to ask whatever question he liked. And when he'd finished asking one, he then asked another - with interruption follow-ups in between.

"It was only when he attempted his third question - or possibly fourth depending on how you define the follow-ups - that the president got angry and asked him to sit down."

(Image: BBC)

Mr Acosta has since lost his White House credentials because of the way he resisted handing over the microphone when a female aide tried to wrest it from him.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed Acosta had been suspended until further notice following what she described as "unacceptable" conduct.

She accused the CNN reporter of "placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job."

Acosta shared the tweet and called Sanders' accusations "a lie".

Video footage of the incident shows the White House intern grapple for the microphone as Acosta attempts to continue questioning the President.

(Image: UPI / Barcroft Images)

The journalist is seen holding onto the mic and at one point told the woman, "Pardon me, ma’am."

Following a backlash against the White House decision to exclude Acosta, Sanders shared a video of the incident on Twitter .

The press secretary wrote: "We stand by our decision to revoke this individual’s hard pass. We will not tolerate the inappropriate behavior clearly documented in this video."

However, viewers were quick to claim the footage had been manipulated to make it appear as though Acosta had forcibly placed a hand on the intern.

Later in the exchange Trump pointed at Acosta who was trying to ask a follow-up question and shouted repeatedly "that's enough".

(Image: REUTERS)

He added: "CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them you are a rude, terrible person you shouldn't be working for CNN."

When NBC's Peter Alexander rose to ask a question he defended Mr Acosta calling him a "diligent reporter".

But Trump hit back saying: "I'm not a big fan of yours either, to be honest ... You are not the best ... Just sit down, please. When you report fake news — no. When you report fake news, which CNN does a lot, you're the enemy other of the people."

The President accused another reporter of asking a racist question when she asked about those who say the Republican party is seen as supporting white nationalists.

President Trump accused Yamiche Alcindor, a black reporter with PBS NewsHour, of asking a "racist question".

Gesturing to the room of journalists he added: "It's such a hostile media, so sad."

Later CNN issued a statement saying that Mr Trump's "ongoing attacks on the press have gone too far."

It continued: "They are not only dangerous, they are disturbingly un-American.

"While President Trump has made it clear he does not respect a free press, he has a sworn obligation to protect it.

"A free press is vital to democracy and we stand behind Jim Acosta and his fellow journalists everywhere."