President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins calling her a “SLEAZEBAG” and accusing her of having a “TRUMP addiction” in a Truth Social post that also called CNN and MSNBC, now rebranded MS NOW, “sick, treasonous and demented.”
The post came hours after Trump confronted Collins at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, questioning why she was covering him after CNN was banned from White House pool duties.
The Truth Social post
Writing on Truth Social, Trump singled out Collins by name: “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 continued: “Why was she there? She’s got a ‘TRUMP’ addiction and so does CNN and MSDNC. They’re all sick, treasonous and demented!”
Trump also referenced the legal fight over his White House press ban, calling it “good news” for the outlets suing him because the case was assigned to what he described as a “totally disloyal Judge.”
The UN General Assembly confrontation
The post followed a face-to-face exchange between Trump and Collins at the United Nations General Assembly.
Trump approached Collins and asked, “I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me. You shouldn’t be here!” He added, “You said you weren’t going to cover me.”
Collins responded that the United Nations, rather than the White House, had credentialed CNN to cover the event.
The White House press ban
Trump announced that he was barring CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House, citing what he described on Truth Social as their “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!”
The ban took effect when Secret Service officers confiscated the press badges of reporters from all three outlets as they arrived for work, according to the Associated Press.
Five major television networks issued a joint statement condemning the move. Networks not covered by the ban then withdrew from White House pool coverage Monday, September 21, in protest. Organizers stressed that the move was not a boycott of Trump coverage but a protest against the exclusion of their colleagues.
CNN had been scheduled to serve as the pool network that day. Without a replacement, no television network traveled with Trump, which CNN described as unprecedented.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the ban Tuesday, telling NBC News’ Today that the administration was not “closing CNN” or sending officers to arrest journalists. He said the outlets were “just not allowed to work from the workspace at the White House.”
The legal challenge
CNN, Politico and MS NOW filed a First Amendment lawsuit Monday, September 21, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The lawsuit names Trump, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, spokesperson Steven Cheung and Secret Service official Sean Curran as defendants.
In a joint statement, the outlets said: “This ban could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles.”
They argued the ban amounted to viewpoint discrimination and asked the court for an emergency order restoring their journalists’ access and credentials.
The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly, whom Trump appointed to the federal bench in 2017. Kelly previously presided over CNN’s 2018 lawsuit involving then-Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta. He ruled that the White House had violated Acosta’s due process rights when it revoked his credentials. The administration restored Acosta’s pass and CNN dropped the lawsuit.
Kelly ordered the Justice Department to respond to the outlets’ request for an injunction by September 22 and scheduled a videoconference hearing for September 23.
The Justice Department responded Tuesday night, arguing the ban was justified in part on national security grounds and that the outlets had failed to meet “standards of professionalism and decorum” expected of those with White House access.
Trump’s history of targeting Collins
Trump’s clashes with Collins date to his first term. In 2018, the White House barred Collins from a Rose Garden press conference after she repeatedly questioned Trump about the Russia investigation and his then-attorney Michael Cohen.
The two clashed again during a CNN town hall in 2023, when Collins challenged Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election had been stolen. Trump responded by calling her a “nasty person.”
Trump has continued targeting Collins since returning to office.
On Saturday, December 6, 2025, he wrote on Truth Social that Collins, misspelling her name as “Caitlin Collin’s,” was “always Stupid and Nasty” after she asked about rising costs tied to his White House ballroom renovation.
Collins responded on Instagram that her question had “technically” been about Venezuela, referring to his administration’s escalating threats toward President Nicolás Maduro. CNN anchor Jake Tapper defended Collins on X that day, posting a bulleted rebuttal of Trump’s claims.
Earlier this year, after Collins questioned Trump about records related to Jeffrey Epstein, he called her a “corrupt reporter” who “never smiles” and accused her of “standing there with hatred in her eyes.” He also called her “the worst reporter.”
Trump has repeatedly dismissed unfavorable coverage from mainstream news outlets as “fake news” and accused news organizations of bias.
