The Surprising Moment Karoline Leavitt Went To Bat For Nemesis Kaitlan Collins

Donald Trump has made it clear that he doesn't like CNN's Kaitlan Collins. As always, the sycophantic White House press secretary has followed suit, with Karoline Leavitt and Collins butting heads a number of times. So it was certainly unexpected to hear that there was actually a moment when Leavitt stood by Collins during an overseas trip. In an episode of Heather McMahan's "Absolutely Not" podcast, Collins revealed that she got some pushback when she was in Saudi Arabia. "They famously do not like the media there," Collins said, via YouTube. However, in what could have been a tense situation, the CNN news anchor found an unexpected ally in the press secretary.

Collins explained that she'd asked a question of Trump, and while he didn't respond, she apparently got noticed for doing so: "The Saudi royal guard kind of freaked out because I dared to ask a question, and they're not used to that there."

CNN's Kaitlan Collins Says Karoline Leavitt Defended Her Free Press Rights

"The Saudi Royal Guard freaked out because I dared to ask a question ... and said, you can't come into the next event ... Karoline, to her credit said, no Kaitlan's coming in with the rest of the U.S.... pic.twitter.com/uhB9al4GVX

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) February 12, 2026

As Collins was being scrutinized by the royal guards and potentially barred from the next U.S. press event, Leavitt was apparently asked what to do with the CNN anchor and whether she should be allowed in. Collins revealed that, "To her credit, she said, 'No Kaitlan's coming in with the rest of the U.S. press,' and we went in, and so it didn't become this huge issue." We have to admit that we're surprised.

We weren't the only ones surprised to hear the support from Karoline Leavitt for Kaitlan Collins, given their history. As one person on X (formerly known as Twitter) wrote, "Seeing Karoline Leavitt and Kaitlan Collins on the same side for 5 minutes is the 2026 plot twist no one saw coming." Another believed that this was a good example for the country: "[This] is how America is supposed to work. You defend free speech even if you don't like the journalist."

We're hoping that Leavitt keeps stepping up for Collins as needed. However, given Leavitt's obsession with Donald Trump and Trump's hatred of Collins (he's called her "stupid and nasty" on Truth Social), we have a feeling that Leavitt is going to keep backing her boss and feuding with Collins, at least at White House press conferences. The two have clashed over everything from affordability and inflation to Trump calling the Gulf of Mexico the so-called "Gulf of America," so Leavitt having Collins's back might have been a one-time thing.