“You know why you’re not smiling? Because you know you’re not telling the truth…You’re a very dishonest organization, and they should be ashamed of you.”
The exchange quickly went viral, not just for the tension but for the mix of personal criticism and political deflection. Collins, 33, has been a White House correspondent for CNN since 2017, after previously reporting for The Daily Caller. Her professionalism under pressure drew praise from her employer:
“Kaitlan Collins is an exceptional journalist, reporting every day from the White House and the field with real depth and tenacity. She skillfully brings that reporting to the anchor chair and CNN platforms every day, which audiences around the world know they can trust,” CNN said in a statement.
A Pattern of Confrontation
Trump’s criticism of Collins is not unprecedented. In December 2025, he labeled her “always stupid, and nasty” on Truth Social following a question about White House ballroom renovations. He has also publicly insulted other female reporters, including CBS News’ Nancy Cordes and New York Times journalist Katie Rogers, targeting both their reporting and their appearances.
The confrontation comes amid ongoing controversy over the release of the Epstein investigative files. The Epstein Files Transparency Act mandated that the Justice Department release all documents related to Epstein by December 19, 2025. Yet the final release — over 3.5 million pages — arrived more than a month late, frustrating advocates for Epstein’s victims.
Jennifer Plotkin, representing more than 30 victims, criticized the delay, telling The Guardian:
“The release of the files proves the government failed the victims over and over again.”
Women’s rights attorney Dr. Ann Olivarius echoed the concern, noting that the documents still leave unanswered questions about Epstein’s immunity deals and how earlier investigations were handled.
From left, Donald Trump and his girlfriend (and future wife), former model Melania Knauss, financier (and future convicted sex offender) Jeffrey Epstein, and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000. (Photo by Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)
Legal experts have also criticized the Justice Department for heavy redactions and incomplete disclosures. Jennifer Freeman, representing victim Maria Farmer, asked:
“Where is the rest of Maria Farmer’s FBI file? Where are the records of complaints that so many other women made to the FBI and how the FBI investigated those complaints?”
Congressman Jamie Raskin added:
“They’ve only released 3 million pages with more than 10,000 redactions. What about the other 3 million files? We’re just getting the dribs and drabs of information coming out, the stuff that they want us to see.”
In response, a Justice Department official defended the release:
“This is a tired narrative. Just because you wish something to be true, doesn’t mean it is. This Department produced more than 3.5 million pages in compliance with the law and has disclosed to the public and to Congress what items were not responsive, in accordance with the Act.”
Moving Forward
For Trump, the Epstein files remain a politically and personally sensitive issue. For reporters and the public, the files offer a complex and incomplete window into a high-profile network of connections, with questions that remain unresolved even after the massive disclosure.
The clash between Trump and Collins illustrates the tension that still surrounds the case — not only legally and politically, but personally, as the president navigates the scrutiny attached to one of the most notorious criminal cases of recent decades.
As the nation continues to process both the files themselves and the responses from high-profile figures, one thing is clear: the Epstein saga, and the attention it brings to those associated with him, is far from over.