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Is it right for the staffer to physically remove the mic from his hands though? Is that normal behavior?

No but neither is holding the microphone well past when you should have relinquished it to another journalist. Abnormal behaviors begets abnormal responses.

Correct or not, "abnormal behaviors begets abnormal responses" is a circular justification. You could justify Acosta's abnormal response as a consequence of abnormal behavior by the administration.

And so I would. As far as I'm concerned, positive feedback loops are a feature of the human experience. You see them everywhere. That doesn't justify Trump's, Acosta's, or America's behavior. It just helps us understand the context in which the behavior occurred.

I don't forgive Trump or Acosta for the way they behave. If you're caught in a loop, it is your responsibility to break out. So I criticize Acosta for this indiscretion and I criticize Trump for past and future indiscretions.

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