Kaitlan Collins says the focus should stay on her reporting. President Donald Trump remains a frequent critic of the CNN journalist.
What We Know: CNN anchor and White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins is addressing the repeated personal insults she receives from President Donald Trump. During an appearance on The Daily Show, Collins told host Jon Stewart she deliberately avoids making the exchanges about herself and instead redirects attention to the reporting that prompted Trump’s criticism. Trump intensified his attacks during last week’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. While Collins accepted the Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure Award, the president sharply criticized her from the stage. The remarks added another chapter to the contentious relationship between the two.
What They Said: “In terms of my reaction, I’ve always felt this, regardless of who’s the president, whether it’s Joe Biden or Donald Trump. Those are the two I’ve covered. It’s really not about me. And I don’t want it to be about my reaction. So I think if you let it become about that, it becomes a back-and-forth between the two of us. Instead, I think it’s more effective to remind people in those moments when he is insulting me or when he is criticizing me about the question I asked or the reporting that I did that he was so angry about in this moment — and the fact that I got an award for it really bothered him, clearly. I just think in those moments it’s important to put the reminder back on the work, on the question, and on the non-answers that we get.” – Kaitlan Collins
What Remains Unclear: It’s unclear whether Trump’s latest criticism will alter Collins’ stature in the Briefing Room. Likewise, neither Trump nor CNN has indicated whether the latest exchange will change their approach going forward.
What It Means: Collins’ response reinforces a philosophy shared by many White House correspondents. She is clear in wanting to keep the attention on the reporting instead of the rhetoric. Her remarks on The Daily Show suggest she believes Trump’s criticism only underscores the significance of the questions being asked. Especially when those questions produce uncomfortable moments for the administration.
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.