The President of the United States, Donald Trump, had a tense exchange with CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday during a press conference at the White House, after the journalist asked him about the recent release of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case by the Department of Justice.
Trump had taken questions from the press after signing the law that ends the partial government shutdown that started over the weekend. Collins, CNN's White House correspondent, asked him about the newly released documents, which include correspondence and names of figures linked to Epstein, and about the concerns of some survivors regarding the redactions in the files.
"In Epstein's files, you mentioned the Democrats that appeared there," Collins said. "Elon Musk was also there, and his Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, corresponded with him. Did you read those new files published by the Department of Justice?" the journalist asked.
Trump responded: “No, I haven’t read them. I have a lot of things to do, you know? A lot of things. He mentioned two names, I'm sure they're fine. I'm sure they're fine. Otherwise, they would have made big headlines.”
Collins insisted, “Many women who survived Epstein are unhappy with the edits that were made. Some complete interviews are entirely crossed out. Do you think there should be more transparency?”
The president replied that “they are also unhappy with the fact that they believe too much was published.” He added, “I think it’s time for the country to move on to other things, like healthcare or something that really matters to people.”
When Collins tried to insist on her question, Trump interrupted: "You're terrible, you know? You're the worst reporter. It's no wonder CNN doesn't have an audience, because of people like you."
The president continued: “You are a young woman. I don’t think I have ever seen you smile. I have known you for ten years. I don’t believe I have ever seen you smile. Do you know why you don’t smile? Because you know you are not telling the truth. You are part of a very dishonest organization, and you should be ashamed.”
The exchange, captured by Fox News, quickly went viral on social media. The clip shared by the account Rapid Response 47 exceeded 900,000 views, and edited versions of it were disseminated by Emma Rincón and Eduardo Menoni, who highlighted the president's direct tone.
Later, Kaitlan Collins shared an extended video of the exchange on her account on X, showcasing the full moment of her question regarding the victims and the president's response. The journalist wrote: “President Trump maintains that the country should move on from the Epstein files and reacts aggressively when asked about the survivors' response to the latest publication from the Department of Justice.”
According to Yahoo News, a spokesperson for CNN stated to the outlet Mediaite that “Kaitlan Collins is an outstanding journalist who reports every day from the White House and on the ground with depth and tenacity. She brings that work to the set and to CNN's platforms every day, which audiences around the world know they can trust.”
Collins, who has been CNN's correspondent at the White House since 2021, replaced Cuban-born journalist Jim Acosta in the role, who was also known for his confrontations with Trump during his first term. The reporter, recognized in 2019 by Forbes as one of the most influential people under 30 in the country, had previously had incidents with the then president, who at one point banned her from attending an event for asking "inappropriate questions."
President Trump, meanwhile, continued to take questions from other reporters and was later heard commenting in a low voice to a senator: "She never smiles."
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