A CNN reporter has responded publicly after a clip of Donald Trump criticizing her for “never smiling” went viral earlier this week.
Journalist and anchor Kaitlan Collins was present at a White House press conference on Tuesday (February 3), where the Republican leader fielded questions about his name appearing in the most recent release of the Epstein files.
Trump, now 79, is among many well-known figures whose names surfaced in photos, videos, and emails previously held by the US Department of Justice related to the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein.
Following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche began a phased release of the documents. The materials also reference a wide range of prominent individuals, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Sarah Ferguson, Lord Peter Mandelson, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Steve Bannon, Mette-Marit, Larry Summers, and Bill Gates.
Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement in or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, despite past social connections between the two. He maintains that they had a falling out long before Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.
When reporters questioned him about his presence in what has been described as the final batch of files during the Oval Office meeting, Trump again dismissed the issue, stating, “Nothing came out about me.”
Collins referenced the inclusion of Elon Musk and current Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in the documents—something Trump waved off as insignificant, claiming there were no major headlines about them. She also pressed him on recent redactions in the files, which some Epstein survivors have criticized as a lack of transparency.
As she began asking, “What would you say to survivors—” Trump abruptly cut her off.
Instead of addressing the substance of the question, he turned personal.
“You are so bad. You know, you are the worst reporter,” Trump said. “No wonder CNN has no ratings because of people like you.”
He continued, “I’ve known you for ten 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.”
He went on to accuse CNN of dishonesty before concluding, “I think it’s time for the country to move on, now that nothing came out about me.”
Collins later addressed the exchange on her CNN program The Source, replaying the footage and offering her perspective.
“He looks at everything through the lens of how it affects him,” she said.
Fellow CNN contributor Kara Swisher backed her up on air, saying Trump’s response showed he’d been rattled.
“You clearly got under his skin,” Swisher told Collins. “So he resorted to personal attacks—it was absurd. And you were absolutely right to ask about what’s been released and what still hasn’t. If we’re doing transparency, it should be complete.”
In a statement to The Wrap, CNN executives also voiced strong support for their reporter.
“Kaitlan Collins is an exceptional journalist, delivering deep, tenacious reporting from the White House and the field every day,” the statement read. “She brings that reporting to CNN platforms with clarity and credibility that audiences around the world trust.”
