President Trump's latest clash with the press came with a demand for a smile. During an Oval Office news conference after he signed a bill to end the shutdown Tuesday, the president broke off from answering questions about newly released Jeffrey Epstein files to berate CNN's chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, the New York Times reports. After responding to two of her questions on the documents, Trump turned combative when Collins pressed him about Epstein's victims, calling her "so bad" and "the worst reporter" and blaming CNN's ratings on "people like you."
Trump also zeroed in on Collins' demeanor. "You know, she's a young woman," he said, per Mediaite. "I don't think I've ever seen you smile. I've known you for 10 years. I don't think I've ever seen a smile on your face." Collins tried to note that her question concerned sexual assault victims, but Trump cut her off, saying, "You know why you're not smiling? Because you know you're not telling the truth." As reporters were escorted out, he was overheard telling Republican Sen. John Barrasso that Collins "never smiles," gesturing toward the press.
CNN, which has repeatedly defended Collins after past attacks from Trump, quickly released a statement praising her as "an exceptional journalist" who reports "with real depth and tenacity." Trump has frequently targeted women in the press, including previously mocking a Bloomberg reporter with "Quiet! Quiet, piggy" after an Epstein question. In a December Truth Social post, he misspelled Collins' name while calling her "Stupid and Nasty."
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