Trump Criticizes CNN’s Collins at UN General Assembly
During the United Nations General Assembly, President Donald Trump took aim at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and other journalists over their coverage of him. This confrontation emerged after Trump banned certain media outlets he deemed “fake news” from reporting at the White House, leading many to refuse coverage of official events.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed his disdain: “All of the SLEAZEBAGS, like Third Rate ‘Reporter,’ Kaitlan Collins, of Fake News CNN, a truly unhappy person, said they weren’t going to be covering me. Then why were they ranting and raving like Lunatics, in the Press Area, at the United Nations? Why was she there?”
He also remarked, “She’s got a ‘TRUMP’ addiction, and so does CNN and MSNBC. They’re all sick, treasonous, and demented!”
This statement followed a heated interaction between Trump and Collins while he was transitioning between events. Collins, part of a group of reporters, posed the question: “Two-thirds of Americans don’t think the U.S. is winning the war with Iran. When will it end?” She referred to a CNN poll indicating that a significant portion of U.S. adults felt the country wasn’t doing well in the conflict.
“I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me,” Trump remarked, gesturing toward her.
Collins responded, “The United Nations allowed us in, sir.”
Trump replied, “You should not be here covering me. You said you weren’t going to cover me.”
Collins reiterated her question, which Trump did not answer.
The ongoing tension is rooted in Trump’s recent decision to block reporters from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House press pool. Outrage followed as these outlets were denied press access over the weekend, which led them to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday. They are seeking a temporary restraining order to regain access, arguing that the administration’s actions violate the First Amendment.
The White House contended that while the First Amendment protects the right to publish news, it does not guarantee access to its facilities or the presidential press pool.
In response to the ban, NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox News collectively chose to halt their shared coverage of Trump.
They stated, “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
