Karoline Leavitt Critically Engages with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in Heated Exchange

In a heated exchange at the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clashed with CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins during a briefing focused on U.S. troop casualties in the conflict with Iran under former President Trump.

During the briefing on Wednesday, Collins pressed Leavitt about remarks made by Pete Hegseth. Hegseth had criticized media outlets for their coverage of the deaths of six American service members, who were victims of an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait.

Collins questioned whether the current administration felt that the media should downplay the fatalities of troops involved in Trump’s Middle East conflict.

Responding sharply, Leavitt retorted, “That’s not what the secretary said, Kaitlan, and you know it.”

She continued, “You and your network are well aware that you seize every opportunity to twist the administration’s words in an attempt to undermine the president’s image.”

Collins added, ‘I don’t think covering troop deaths is trying to make the president look bad.’

Leavitt shot back, ‘If you’re trying to argue right now that CNN’s overwhelming coverage is not negative of President Trump, I think the American people would tend to disagree, and your ratings would tend to disagree with that as well.’

Earlier on Wednesday, Hegseth accused journalists of trying to ‘make the president look bad’ by bringing attention to the troops death that occured days after Trump launched ‘Operation Epic Fury.’

Collins asked whether the administration believes the press should avoid prominently covering the deaths of troops in Trump’s war in the Middle East

Karoline Leavitt lost her cool with CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday at a White House press briefing

Earlier in the day, Pete Hegseth blasted media outlets for highlighting the deaths of six US service members killed in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait

Leavitt, 28, and Collins, 33, have a long history of battling in the press briefing room in front of the cameras.

Collins has covered Trump’s presidency and his three presidential campaigns for nearly a decade. 

Her critical and often adversarial questions to Leavitt have blows up over Trump’s foreign and domestic policy.

In November, she previously grilled Leavitt over Trump’s description of a video, which features six Democratic lawmakers telling members of the military and intelligence community: ‘You can refuse illegal orders.’

At the time, Leavitt told reporters several times that the lawmakers – all veterans – were urging the military to refuse ‘lawful orders.’

Again in December, Collins quizzed Trump’s spokesman on the President’s economic record, while Leavitt claimed that the press corps was going harder on her than when they questioned her predecessors on Joe Biden’s economic record.

Their feuds comes amid the backdrop over her network’s owner, Warner Bros Discovery being sold to Paramount. The President has previously that he would like to see CNN sold as part of the deal.

Despite their adversarial relationship, Leavitt has defended Collins from Saudi authorities during overseas presidential trips. 

Six American soldiers are dead because of Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East

When Collins was almost banned from entering a press room in Saudi Arabia after an awkward interaction with Trump in front with the country’s leader, Leavitt came to her rescue. 

‘They famously do not like the media there,’ Collins said in an interview with the Absolutely Not Podcast in February.

After the officials left the room, Collins said the, ‘Saudi Royal Guard kind of freaked out because I dared to ask a question’.

‘They’re not used to that there, because they don’t have a free press,’ she explained.

Moments later, she was informed she would not be allowed into the next event because of her actions.

White House staff noticed the confrontation and ran to Leavitt, who stepped in to save Collins.

‘To her credit, she said: “No, Kaitlan is coming in with the rest of the US press.”‘

‘I do think its important in that moment, especially when you’re kind of the US contingent abroad, and we don’t do things like they do in Saudi Arabia,’ Collins added.