Kaitlan Collins' Feisty Reporting Style Once Got Her Banned From A White House Rose Garden Event
Kaitlan Collins has never been afraid to go toe-to-toe with Donald Trump and members of his cabinet, even all the way back during his first administration. The CNN star seems to really know how to get under Trump's skin, simply by asking serious questions without backing down. Her persistence and aggressive reporting style have frequently been derided by right-wing pundits and politicians, and her strong-willed demeanor led to Trump (incorrectly) accusing her of never smiling.
However, it was Collins' willingness to doggedly pursue answers and ask tough questions that once got her banned from attending a White House Rose Garden event, in an attack against the media that even conservative-leaning Fox News renounced. This may have been the real impetus for the bitter feud that Collins and Trump have been locked in for years, and it stemmed from some hard-hitting queries Collins leveled when Trump was posing for a photo op with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker back in July 2018.
Collins asked a series of questions related to a leaked phone call between Trump and his former attorney, Michael Cohen, about illicit payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, as well as pointed questions about Trump's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump overtly ignored the questions at the event, and former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders later slammed Collins for even asking them. Shortly after, it was announced that Collins would not be permitted to attend a press event in the Rose Garden later in the day.
Kaitlan Collins says her combative relationship with the White House has taught her a lot
Banning Kaitlin Collins from a press event simply for asking questions was undoubtedly controversial at the time. The announcement made waves throughout the media over concerns of censorship, the First Amendment, and freedom of the press. However, it seems the whole ordeal proved to be a learning opportunity for Collins herself.
The CNN superstar — who has built a truly lavish life for herself over the past decade as a leading TV journalist – began her work covering the White House the day Donald Trump was first inaugurated in January 2017. "It was obviously an adventure that started that day," Collins told InStyle in April 2021. "We had no idea what was ahead of us."
From the start of Trump's time as president and through his current reign, the former "Apprentice" host and failed Casino magnate has often attempted to escalate his feud with Collins, both verbally attacking her and trying to deflect or outright ignore her questions. However, Collins' own notoriety and her ability to navigate dodgy politicians truly began with her Rose Garden ban. "He wants to intimidate and bully [the press] so you don't ask him what he doesn't want to get asked about," Collins told InStyle. "You have to remember to focus on the question and get an answer. [The ban] really prepared me for that."