CNN and Donald Trump don’t always get along. But when they do, it’s newsworthy.
And a CNN host shockingly praised the Trump admin for this wild circumstance.
In a surprising twist that’s got everyone talking, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, no stranger to clashing with President Donald Trump, just gave props to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt for backing her up during a tense moment overseas. It’s the kind of story that highlights the grit of Trump’s team, even when dealing with prickly foreign regimes.
The drama went down on a high-stakes trip to Saudi Arabia, where Trump was rubbing shoulders with world leaders. Collins spilled the details on the Absolutely Not podcast with Heather McMahan, painting a picture of how things can get dicey when American journalists push boundaries in places that don’t value free speech.
“When we were in Saudi Arabia, we were on a foreign trip with the president, and [Trump] came in with all the other leaders, including the Saudi Crown Prince,” Collins stated. “They famously do not like the media there, to put it lightly.”
Collins didn’t hold back, doing what reporters do—she hollered a question at Trump as the U.S. press pool entered the room. Trump spotted her but chose not to respond, which is par for the course in these high-pressure gigs.
“[I] shouted a question to President Trump, who had seen me when the U.S. press came in,” she said.
“He didn’t answer, which is, I mean, that’s how it works: you shout questions, they either answer or they don’t, it’s their prerogative. And then the world leaders left the room.”
But that’s when the Saudi Royal Guard flipped out. They’re not used to anyone challenging their tightly controlled environment, and Collins’ bold move set them off. Suddenly, she was on their radar as a troublemaker.
“The Saudi Royal Guard kind of freaked out because I dared to ask a question, and they’re not used to that there because they don’t have a free press,” she continued.
“And so they came up, and they said, ‘Okay, well, you can’t come into the next event,’ which was like two minutes later.”
Collins tried to reason with them, laying out the basics of how American press operates. But in a country where media is muzzled, her words fell on deaf ears. The guards weren’t budging.
She noticed the whispers and finger-pointing aimed her way, a clear sign she was persona non grata. The younger White House staffers weren’t sure how to handle the escalating situation, so they looped in Leavitt.
“I could see them whispering and pointing about me,” Collins stated. “Some of the younger White House press weren’t really sure what to do, and they went to Karoline. And, to her credit, she said, ‘No, Kaitlan’s coming in with the rest of the U.S. press’ … which I do think is important, in that moment.”
Leavitt’s firm stance cut through the nonsense, ensuring Collins joined the rest of the U.S. media for the follow-up event. It’s a reminder of how Trump’s administration fights for American values, even abroad.
