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By Jordan King
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President Donald Trump clashed with CNN's Kaitlan Collins after she asked a question about the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, telling her she was the "worst reporter" and that he had "never seen [her] smile."
As part of an exchange with the president while he answered reporters’ questions at the White House on Tuesday, Collins asked: “What would you say to the survivors who feel they haven’t gotten justice…”
Trump interrupted her to say: “You are the worst reporter. CNN has no ratings because of people like you.”
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He then spoke to the group of other reporters in the room, saying, “You know she’s a young woman,” before addressing her to add, “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.”
“Well, I’m asking you about survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, Mr. President,” she said, before getting cut off again.
“You know why you’re not smiling?” Trump said. “Because you know you’re not telling the truth. You're a very dishonest organization—and they should be ashamed of you."
CNN said in a statement to Newsweek that Collins is an “exceptional” and “skillful” journalist whom audiences know they can trust.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Newsweek: “President Trump has never been politically correct, never holds back, and in large part, the American people re-elected him for his transparency. This has nothing to do with gender – it has everything to do with the fact that the President’s and the public’s trust in the media is at all time lows.”
Why It Matters
There have been multiple testy exchanges between the president and female reporters in recent months, including on November 14, when he told Bloomberg journalist Catherine Lucey, “Quiet, piggy,” after she asked a question on Air Force One. Other examples include Trump dubbing ABC News’ Mary Bruce a “terrible reporter” and asking CBS News' Nancy Cordes, "Are you a stupid person?"
Trump has previously been critical of Collins, writing in a Truth Social post in December, she is "always Stupid and Nasty."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously defended Trump's remarks to Lucey and praised the president's “frankness." When asked for comment on the exchanges last November, White House spokesperson Taylor Rodgers said Trump "answers unrestricted questions nearly every single day from the failing legacy media" and provides “candid answers for the American people while also holding the press accountable.”
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What To Know
The clash came after Collins had asked two other questions about the release of the Epstein files, to which the president had responded.
He concluded the segment by saying: "Now that nothing came out about me, other than it was a conspiracy against me, literally by Epstein and other people. But I think it's time now for the country to maybe get on to something else, like health care or something that people care about."
The president was in the middle of saying the country should focus on other things, such as “health care,” when Collins asked her next question about what he would say to the survivors “who feel they haven’t gotten justice.”
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and has said their friendship ended in the early 2000s. The president has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and the inclusion of someone's name in files from the investigation does not imply otherwise.
What People Are Saying
A CNN spokesperson told Newsweek on Tuesday night: "Kaitlan Collins is an exceptional journalist, reporting every day from the White House and the field with real depth and tenacity. She skillfully brings that reporting to the anchor chair and CNN platforms every day, which audiences around the world know they can trust.”
White House spokesperson Taylor Rodgers told Newsweek in November: "President Trump answers unrestricted questions nearly every single day from the failing legacy media, whose trust from the American people recently fell to an all-time low. President Trump provides candid answers for the American people while also holding the press accountable, just as he promised, whenever they shamelessly peddle fake news.”
What Happens Next
Congressional activity around the Epstein matter is ongoing. Lawmakers are continuing to push the DOJ to release additional documents, while lawyers for hundreds of alleged Epstein victims have asked two federal judges in New York to order the Department of Justice (DOJ) to temporarily take down its Epstein files website, alleging widespread redaction failures that exposed victims' identities.
Update 02/03/26, 2.05 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from the White House.
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