Trump’s Press Secretary Has Back And Forth During Press Briefing
The tension between the Trump White House and CNN hit a new high this week, with back-to-back confrontations involving CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt that encapsulated the broader battle between the administration and a media establishment it views as openly adversarial.
On Wednesday, Leavitt shut down Collins during a heated White House press briefing after the CNN reporter pressed the administration on the latest revelations from The Atlantic. Specifically, Collins asked whether President Trump now felt misled by his national security team, in light of new Signal messages published by Jeffrey Goldberg that appear to contradict earlier claims that no classified information had been disclosed.
Trump clowns a reporter wearing a mask:
"You know, I haven't seen a mask in sooo long! You're wearing a mask — so nice of you!"
pic.twitter.com/WpsLLUHVKO— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 26, 2025
It wasn’t the first time the question had been asked, and Leavitt made that clear. Visibly frustrated, the 27-year-old press secretary pointed out that both Collins and another reporter had posed variations of the same question multiple times. “I have now been asked and answered this question three times by the both of you,” she said, before bluntly refusing to entertain Collins’ follow-up: “Kaitlan, I am not taking your follow-up.”
The exchange mirrored a sharp moment from the day before, when Collins tried to question President Trump directly during an event at the White House. As she began a question about the Signal chat controversy, Trump cut her off mid-sentence: “Excuse me, I didn’t pick you.” He pivoted to another reporter without further acknowledgment, clearly signaling that her line of questioning wasn’t going to be entertained.
These moments have come amid a slow-drip of texts published by The Atlantic, with Goldberg claiming they contain operational details from the March 15 strikes against the Houthis. One text, reportedly sent by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, allegedly included specifics about weapon systems and timing—details Goldberg argued could have compromised the mission if intercepted or leaked in real time.
.@SecVetAffairs torches Fake News CNN's @kaitlancollins: "Since you undoubtedly don't want to talk about the VA ... I would like to know why CNN is hostile to veterans — especially one in Florida, where you just had a $5 million defamation suit..." pic.twitter.com/fwnkeg10Zn
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 27, 2025
The White House has pushed back hard on that characterization. Officials insist no classified material was shared, and they’ve highlighted what they claim are inconsistencies in The Atlantic's reporting, including quiet edits to language such as the removal of the phrase “war plans.” But the newly released messages have allowed critics to resurface questions about information security—regardless of intent or outcome.
For Democrats, the leak—however inadvertent—represents an opening to challenge the administration’s credibility. For the press corps, it’s another chapter in a long-running clash with a president and communications team who see many media figures, Collins included, as political actors rather than neutral observers.
The repeated clashes between Trump and Collins aren't new. From questions about Russia to sharp interjections about domestic policy, Collins has become one of the most visible symbols of CNN’s combative posture in the briefing room. Trump, in turn, has frequently used her as a foil, questioning her credibility and CNN’s relevance, often to applause or laughter from others in the room.