Kaitlan Collins All But Confirmed Karoline Leavitt Feud Is All Bark And No Bite

"Kaitlan, I am not taking your follow-up." This retort from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt went viral on social media in March 2025 after she and CNN's chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, got into a bit of a verbal scuffle. Collins wanted clarification on whether President Donald Trump felt betrayed by his national security advisors after the Pentagon's Signal chat scandal. Leavitt deflected. Collins persisted in trying to ask a follow-up question, but Leavitt wouldn't let her have it. The exchange has been labeled by some as one of Leavitt's most unprofessional moments as press secretary so far. But while it might appear as if the White House correspondent and press secretary loathe each other on camera, the reality might actually be a lot less dramatic.

Collins made a stunning revelation about her behind-the-scenes relationship with Leavitt during an interview with Jason Tartick on the "Trading Secrets" podcast in October 2025, disclosing that the press secretary's bark is worse than her bite. Collins recalled accompanying the president as part of the press pool on his Saudi Arabia trip in May, and how she managed to infuriate the Saudi Royal Guard by shouting a question at Trump after he emerged from a meeting.

Collins noted that the Saudi prince isn't exactly a fan of the press and that she inadvertently offended him when she asked the president a question. "Right after that, the Saudi Royal Guard was like, 'You cannot come into the next event," Collins told Tartick. As she tried to reason with them, Leavitt, of all people, came to Collins' rescue. "To Karoline Leavitt's credit, she was like, 'No, Kaitlan's coming in with the rest of the U.S. press.' And so I went into the next event," Collins said. 

Karoline Leavitt sticking up for Kaitlan Collins wasn't on our 2025 bingo card, but here we are. While discussing her role as a member of the White House press pool on the "Trading Secrets" podcast, Collins said she doesn't hold a grudge against Leavitt for their briefing room scuffles. "I've had relationships and dealt in the press briefing room with a string of press secretaries," Collins explained. "I think the longer [you do this job] you realize that all these press secretaries are doing their job for their boss. You kind of understand how they're operating." Collins added that this understanding doesn't mean she goes easy on them when it comes to the kinds of questions she asks.

And indeed, Leavitt and Collins keep butting heads. The chief White House correspondent once again evoked the press secretary's ire during an October 2025 press briefing when she raised questions about President Donald Trump's plans to deploy the National Guard in Chicago and Portland, and whether any of those cities' officials had asked for military aid. The press secretary deflected and accused Collins of only speaking to Democrats on her show, "The Source." She asserted that there was ample evidence of unrest in Portland. "It's on video. You should play it on your show," Leavitt snapped (via The Daily Beast). This was hardly Leavitt's pettiest interaction with Collins, but the latter seemed to take it in stride. "I think with the press and press secretaries for all politicians, it's a tense relationship. It's not meant to be buddy-buddy or cozy," Collins told "Trading Secrets."