Trump Jr. Answers Questions From Collins
Donald Trump Jr. did not hold back in a tense exchange with CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins following the vice-presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz in New York City. While the debate itself was notably civil, the conversation between Trump Jr. and Collins took a much sharper turn when the focus shifted to his father, former President Donald Trump, and the political environment surrounding him.
The tension began when Collins asked if Trump Jr. would like to see more civil debates when his father is on stage. Trump Jr. responded by calling out the media for their role in creating a hostile political climate, one he argued has contributed directly to attempts on his father's life.
“You know, I was an agent of Russia,” Trump Jr. quipped, referencing false claims that plagued his family during Trump’s presidency. He pointed to Hunter Biden’s laptop scandal as an example of the media's double standards, claiming that while real issues were ignored, the media created narratives that unfairly demonized his family.
Our interview with Donald Trump Jr. following the debate, and whether he thinks his father should face Harris again: pic.twitter.com/iURMSgAPpI
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 2, 2024
Things escalated when Trump Jr. shifted the conversation to a serious accusation—blaming the media for radicalizing individuals who had attempted to assassinate his father. “The media has radicalized the people that are trying to kill my father,” Trump Jr. said, revealing that his family has had to deal with two assassination attempts in the past few months. He spoke about the emotional toll it has taken, particularly on his five young children, who he said had to face the reality of threats against their grandfather’s life.
Collins pushed back, asserting that there was no evidence to suggest the media had driven these attempts. “You can’t blame the media,” she argued, while acknowledging that no one wants harm to come to Trump. However, Trump Jr. was adamant that the environment of hostility toward his father, built up over years, contributed to the violence. “When someone allows people to have a platform to call someone literally Hitler every day for nine years, it creates it,” he said.
The exchange took a surprising twist when Collins pointed out that JD Vance, Trump's running mate, had once questioned whether Trump could be “America’s Hitler.” Trump Jr. brushed this off, maintaining his stance that the media had played a central role in fostering the dangerous climate.
The conversation shed light on the two assassination attempts Trump Jr. referenced. The first occurred on July 13, when a gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, shot and wounded Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania. The attack was horrifying, with Crooks firing from a rooftop, injuring Trump, and killing one member of the crowd. Despite the injury, Trump managed to rally, raising his fist and shouting “fight, fight, fight” before being rushed to safety.
The second attempt took place on September 15, when Trump was golfing in West Palm Beach. Shots were fired in his vicinity, and while Trump was unharmed, the suspected gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested soon after. Routh, a registered Democrat, was found unarmed at the scene, but authorities located a rifle and other equipment nearby.