Why Karoline Leavitt Can’t Stand CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Is Crystal Clear The first instance of tension between Leavitt and Collins came during the…see more

Why Karoline Leavitt Can’t Stand CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Is Crystal Clear
The first instance of tension between Leavitt and Collins came during the…see more

Karoline Leavitt and CNN’s chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins have had a ton of tense back-and-forth since the second Trump administration began, and let’s just say it’s not exactly a surprise why. Collins went in hot from the start — and it’s clear Leavitt didn’t appreciate that.

The first instance of tension between Leavitt and Collins came during the former’s first press conference. Collins was called on to ask her question roughly 30 minutes into the conference, and prior to that, Leavitt had already shown signs of irritation at being repeatedly asked the same questions about the federal funding freeze. As such, it’s possible that played a role in her demeanor towards Collins. However, things went from icy-but-polite to clearly tense when Collins began asking who had told Donald Trump that freezing funding was legal (via ABC). Leavitt shared which aspects of the memo provided to the press outlined the legalities, but when Collins pushed to say that other lawmakers disagreed, Leavitt didn’t hide her annoyance and shut if down, saying, “Again, I would point you to the language in the memo that clearly states this is within the law.” Collins wasn’t done, though. She then went on to ask about the firing of inspectors general and prosecutors. The zinger was in how she phrased the question. “How is the administration deciding which laws to follow and which ones to ignore?” she asked.

In the time since, Collins and Leavitt’s feud has continued to heat up. After Collins asked if Trump felt blindsided in the wake of the Signal group chat debacle, once again, Leavitt was annoyed by repeated questions and shut it down. That wasn’t all, though. She also made it clear she was done, telling Collins — then repeating — “Kaitlin, I am not taking your follow-up” (via LiveNow from Fox).

Donald Trump Has Long Sparred With Kaitlan Collins

While it’s likely Kaitlan Collins and Karoline Leavitt’s drama derived from the former’s persistent questions, it does also bear mentioning that Collins counts amongst her enemies Donald Trump himself. In fact, in response to Collins interrupting him in a 2023 CNN town hall, Trump complained, “You’re a nasty person” (via WSJ). Trump also shut down Collins’ questions regarding his claims that DEI had anything to do with the tragic D.C. plane crash in early 2025. “That’s not a very smart question. I’m surprised, coming from you,” he chirped (via The Daily Wire). Hey, at least he made it clear he thinks she’s smart, we guess. Given Trump’s track record with Collins, it’s certainly possible he warned Leavitt ahead of time, prompting that frosty first press briefing.

It’s also worth remembering that Collins previously sparred with another of Trump’s press secretaries, Kayleigh McEnany. In addition to arguing over a clear denouncement of the Proud Boys white supremacist group in October 2020, McEnany completely ignored Collins’ questions in a press briefing a month later, packing up when asked why. As a parting shot, the then-press secretary told the CNN anchor, “I don’t call on activists.” She then walked out of the room, leaving behind a defeated-looking Collins. “I’m not an activist, and you haven’t taken questions since October first, and you just took about five, Kayleigh. That’s not doing your job. Your taxpayer-funded job,” she said as the door closed behind McEnany.

Given that Leavitt seems to be something of a McEnany wannabe, it’s possible that in addition to Trump’s own stance on Collins, she took stock of her predecessor’s beef with the CNN White House correspondent while preparing for her new gig. Either way, we’re not expecting the tension between them to dissipate any time soon.