Kaitlan Collins Sends Karoline Leavitt Spiraling During Explosive Presser Exchange

As the feud between CNN's Kaitlan Collins and press secretary Karoline Leavitt continues to unfold, it's becoming transparent that Leavitt is cracking under pressure. There have been several times when Leavitt has snapped thanks to Collins, going on tirades that feel both fumbled and immature. During a somewhat intense press briefing on March 4, Collins once again pushed Leavitt to the limit, and the sparks were dazzling.

Collins: Given what Hegseth said, is it the position of this administration that the press should not prominently cover the deaths of U.S. Service members?

Leavitt: No, it's the position of this admin that the press should accurately report on the success of operation epic fury pic.twitter.com/pvjq1fmia9

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 4, 2026

In a video on X, Collins can be seen pressing Leavitt for clarification as to how the White House would like the media to cover the disruptive war in Iran. As of reporting, at least six United States service members have died in the chaos, and the administration of President Donald Trump has appeared squirrely about reporting around this. When Collins pulled up a quote from controversial Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in which he complained that the media was reporting on the deaths at all, Leavitt lost it. 

After accusing Collins of being "disingenuous," Leavitt rambled on about how it's "a fact" that the press wants to smear the president. As her energy got more manic, the crowd began to bubble up, causing Leavitt to raise her voice to explain that Trump "will be attending [the] dignified transfer" of the deceased service members. Collins retorted that this isn't "making the president look bad." Which caused Leavitt to finally break, stuttering out the made-up claim that it's "an 'objectable' fact" that CNN wants to ruin Trump's reputation before fumbling a final insult about low ratings.

While the heated exchange between Karoline Leavitt and Kaitlan Collins on March 4 could appear mild, especially when compared to some of their other spats, it does point towards a trend for the two. Though the relationship between Collins and Leavitt remains complicated, it doesn't seem to be personal. Both women understand the mechanics of communication, and Leavitt is under the impossible pressure of keeping her boss constantly happy. Donald Trump loves a voracious team player, and that just might explain why Leavitt is so quick to go off the handle, even at the risk of appearing unprofessional.

Leavitt has stooped to new lows as press secretary several times, but it appears to be working. There's evidence to suggest that Leavitt is one of Trump's favorite staffers, and her combative relationship with Collins might play into this. Considering how the Trump administration has cleared out much of the press pool and replaced it with friendly faces, the fact that Collins and CNN still have access to Leavitt is telling.