Trump Slams CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Again: “Hatred in Her Eyes” and Never Smiles

President Donald Trump took another sharp jab at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins during a White House press briefing, claiming she has “hatred in her eyes” and never smiles.

The moment came right after Trump signed a new executive order on Wednesday, June 3. He was fielding questions from reporters when the conversation turned to his decision to drop a lawsuit related to an anti-weaponization fund. From there, he launched into criticism of the Biden and Obama administrations before turning his attention straight to CNN.

“You know, the good thing about sitting here is we can get information that you wouldn’t get otherwise,” Trump said. He went on to talk about what his team had uncovered, suggesting it would shock people in the coming weeks and months. Then he singled out Collins, who was standing right there in the room.

“CNN is a very corrupt organization, with a corrupt reporter standing right there who never smiles,” Trump said, gesturing toward her. “She never… a young beautiful woman who never smiles. I never see a smile on her face. I see her standing there with hatred in her eyes.”

He suggested her attitude stemmed from things like stronger borders, a robust military, tax cuts, and other policies that Americans had wanted. Moments later, Collins asked him directly about the future of the anti-weaponization fund, wondering if it was truly dead or just on hold. Trump responded by saying he’d have to check with the lawyers, then added that he thought it was one of the best ideas because people like her and other outlets in the “fake news” had mistreated his supporters so badly.

When someone tried to jump in, he told them to wait, then turned back to Collins. “You should be ashamed of yourself. She used to be a conservative from Alabama, can you believe it?” Collins, who once worked for the conservative outlet The Daily Caller, shot back lightly, “I’m still from Alabama.”

This isn’t the first time Trump has commented on Collins’ demeanor. Back in February, he similarly pointed out that she doesn’t smile enough. And just the day before this latest exchange, Collins had appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, where she reflected on keeping interviews focused on the subject while acknowledging that reporters are human too.

The back-and-forth highlights the ongoing tension between the president and certain members of the press corps, especially at CNN. Collins has faced similar remarks from Trump before, but she continues to push forward with her questions in the briefing room.