During a bill signing in the Oval Office, former President Donald Trump launched a heated and insulting tirade against CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins, targeting her demeanor and the network she works for.
Trump had gathered with reporters after signing a $1.2 trillion budget to end a partial government shutdown that began on Saturday. The deal, which passed the House of Representatives earlier in the day, funds most government agencies through the end of the fiscal year in September. As journalists asked questions, tensions quickly escalated.
Microphones captured Trump gesturing toward Collins and commenting to someone beside him, “She never smiles.” He added, “she’s an unhappy person,” with the person next to him responding, “I know you’re right.” These remarks, apparently made after Collins had left the room, followed an even more aggressive exchange earlier in the meeting.
Collins, who has been with CNN since 2017, had asked Trump about justice for Jeffrey Epstein’s survivors, after the release of over 3.5 million pages of documents related to the convicted sex offender (Epstein Files Show Putin’s Russian Spy Connection). Trump immediately defended himself, insisting “nothing came out about me,” and claimed Epstein himself had orchestrated a conspiracy against him (Trump Accuses Epstein of Trying to Frame Him).
“You are the worst reporter,” Trump told Collins. “CNN has the worst ratings because of people like you. You know she’s a young woman, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile. I’ve known you for 10 years, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face.” His remarks mirrored his long history of attacking White House correspondents (CNN Halted for Breaking News Alert in Trump Meltdown).
He continued, speaking over her question: “You know why you’re not smiling? Cause you know you’re not telling the truth. And you’re a very dishonest organization, and they should be ashamed of you.” After this, Trump moved on to another reporter’s question, bypassing Collins entirely. (Fox News Hosts Give Trump Alarming Wake-Up Call)
The clip of Trump’s tirade quickly drew attention on social media. Some observers criticized the other reporters in the room for not defending Collins. One user wrote, “Why doesn’t the rest of the press back her up? This keeps happening, and they just go on to the next question like it’s completely normal. You normalize the monster again and again.” (Trump Health Fears Soar as Doctor Weighs In)
This incident is not the first time Trump has attacked Collins or other White House correspondents. In December, he called her “stupid and nasty” after she questioned him about the rising cost of his White House ballroom (CNN Interrupted for Bombshell Donald Trump Coverage).
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