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President has reportedly held a grudge against CNN’s chief White House correspondent since the 2023 town hall
Ariana Baio Tuesday 09 June 2026 21:36 BST- Bookmark
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Close popoverTrump launches sexist diatribe against CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins
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President Donald Trump’s contentious relationship with Kaitlan Collins, CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent, allegedly stems from the 2023 Republican town hall when Collins challenged the president and was subsequently elevated in her career, a former Republican strategist said Tuesday.
Rick Wilson, the former GOP strategist and co-founder of The Lincoln Project – an anti-Trump PAC – told Raw Story that a person close to Trump divulged that the president has held a grudge against Collins for years.
“Trump believes that the CNN interview he did with Kaitlan Collins, that she did when she was first elevated by Jeff Zucker, Trump believes that she owes him because that ‘made her career,’” Wilson said.
Collins was made CNN’s chief White House correspondent and given her own nightly show, “The Source with Kaitlan Collins,” after the 2023 town hall. Collins repeatedly pressed Trump on his falsehoods during the town hall, angering the then-presidential candidate.
Trump has resented Collins since the town hall, believing she should repay her debt to the president, Wilson told Raw Story.
Kaitlan Collins was elevated to her position as chief White House correspondent after moderating the 2023 Republican town hall with President Donald Trump (AFP/Getty)The Independent has asked the White House for comment.
The 2023 Republican town hall attracted media attention, in part, for the president’s outbursts toward Collins. The two got into a particularly heated exchange while Collins was asking Trump why he defied a Justice Department subpoena for classified documents, which he took with him to Mar-a-Lago after leaving office in 2021.
“It’s very simple to answer. You’re a nasty person, I tell ya,” Trump responded to Collins.
Over the years, Trump has insulted Collins, calling her a “nasty woman” and “stupid.” The president accused Collins of never smiling and “standing there with hatred in her eyes.”
But it’s not just Collins; Trump has also attacked other women journalists when they’ve asked the president confrontational questions. In November, Trump responded, “quiet piggy,” after Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey asked about the Epstein files.
He also called New York Times reporter Katie Rogers “ugly, both inside and out,” after she co-wrote an article raising questions about the president’s stamina.
When CBS White House correspondent Nancy Cordes asked Trump about blaming the Biden administration for the entry of an immigrant, Trump retorted: “Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person?”
Most recently, Trump stormed out of an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” anchor Kristen Welker after she disputed his claims about election fraud.
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