President Donald Trump criticized CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins for “not smiling” after she raised a question about the files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“You are the worst reporter,” Trump told Collins during an exchange in the Oval Office on Feb. 3. “CNN has no ratings because of people like you.”
He continued, “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. You know why you’re not smiling? Because you know you’re not telling the truth.”
The tense interaction began when Collins asked the president about redactions in the Epstein files. Trump responded, in part, “I think it’s really time for the country to get onto something else,” before drawing his displeasure with Collins.
It’s not the first time Trump has lashed out at a reporter, let alone Collins, who he called “stupid and nasty” in December 2025.
Similarly, when a journalist asked Trump about the Epstein files aboard Air Force One in November 2025, the president pointed at her as he said: “Quiet! Quiet, piggy.”
CNN colleagues defend Kaitlan Collins
On X, several of Collins’ CNN colleagues came to her defense after the exchange.
“Kaitlan is a great reporter & person,” anchor Jake Tapper wrote.
David Axelrod, a political analyst for the network, called Collins “one of the very best journalists around. Smart, tireless, fearless and fair,” adding, “I’m proud to call her my colleague and my friend.”
In a statement, CNN said 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,” the network said.
Trump has a history with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins
Collins, chief White House correspondent and host of CNN’s “The Source,” has a history of sparring with the Trump administration.
In a Dec. 6, 2025, post to Truth Social, Trump railed against Collins after she asked a question about budgeting issues for the construction of a ballroom at the White House.
“Caitlin Collin’s of Fake News CNN, always Stupid and Nasty, asked me why the new Ballroom was costing more money than originally thought one year ago,” the president wrote, misspelling her name. “I said because it is going to be double the size, and the quality of finishes and interiors has been brought to the highest level.”
“FAKE NEWS CNN, and the guy who runs the whole corrupt operation that owns it, is one of the worst in the business,” he continued. “Their ratings are so low that they’re not even counted or relevant anymore. MAGA!!!”
Collins responded in a since-expired Instagram stories post, “Technically, my question was about Venezuela.”
During Trump’s first stint in the White House, Collins similarly clashed with his administration.
In 2018, she was banned from a Rose Garden news conference after asking Trump questions in the Oval Office. CNN defended Collins at the time and said the decision to ban her was “retaliatory,” adding that they demanded “better.”
In 2020, Trump walked out of the White House briefing room after Collins asked him a question about the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine during a COVID-19 briefing.