Donald Trump Unleashes On Kaitlan Collins Again, Calls Her 'Sleazebag' - Newsweek

President Donald Trump has lashed out at CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, calling her a "SLEAZEBAG" with a "TRUMP addiction."

Trump's comments came after he banned CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the White House, prompting the news organizations to mount a legal challenge, and other major networks to boycott White House press pool coverage on Monday.

The president wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday: "All of the SLEAZEBAGS, like Third Rate 'Reporter,' Kaitlan Collins, of Fake News CNN, a truly unhappy person, said they weren't going to be covering me. Then why were they ranting and raving like Lunatics, in the Press Area, at the United Nations?"

He added: "Why was she there? She's got a 'TRUMP' addiction, and so does CNN and MSDNC. They're all sick, treasonous, and demented!"

He went on to reference the legal action taken by the outlets, saying that they had "good news" because the case has been assigned to "totally disloyal Judge."

Trump's statement came hours after he confronted Collins in person at the United Nations General Assembly, questioning why she was there. Collins told Trump that the U.N. had allowed CNN to cover the event.

"I'm surprised that CNN is here covering me. You shouldn't be here!" Trump said to Collins during the exchange, adding: "You said you weren't going to cover me."

Trump announced on Friday that he was banning the three outlets from the White House over their "constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!"

Five major TV networks, including CNN, issued a joint statement criticizing the move, while the non-banned networks withdrew from White House pool coverage on Monday.

The withdrawal was a protest against the White House ban, not a decision to stop covering Trump altogether. Still, Trump has repeatedly questioned why CNN continues to cover him.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Trump’s ban on Tuesday, clarifying that the administration was not "closing CNN" or sending police officers to arrest reporters.

"They’re just not allowed to work from the workspace at the White House," he told NBC News’ TODAY.

Shortly after his Truth Social post criticizing Collins on Tuesday, Trump shared a parody video titled "day in the life of a CNN reporter." In the video, a man invites viewers into his life as "someone who tells lies all day long," before putting on what he describes as a "fake news outfit" to go and "make up a bunch of false rumors about Trump."

Trump has repeatedly clashed with Collins since his first presidency. In 2018, the White House barred Collins from a Rose Garden press conference after she repeatedly questioned Trump about Russia and his then-attorney Michael Cohen.

The pair clashed again during a 2023 CNN town hall. When Collins challenged Trump over his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, he called her a "nasty person."

Trump has continued to criticize her since returning to office, including calling her "stupid and nasty" in a 2025 social media post over her questions about the cost of the White House ballroom.

Earlier this year, after Collins questioned Trump about files relating to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, he described her as a "corrupt reporter" who "never smiles" and accused her of "standing there with hatred in her eyes." In the same news conference, he said she was "the worst reporter."

Trump has a long history of clashing with mainstream media outlets, regularly dismissing unfavorable coverage as "fake news" and accusing news organizations of biased or inaccurate reporting.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Robinson and Tony Phillips.