CNN’s Kaitlan Collins is in the spotlight yet again for an interaction with President Donald Trump amid his controversial ban of certain news outlets from the White House − and women in particular are taking to social media to cheer her on.
At the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump taunted outlets for continuing to cover him despite the ban that has prompted other broadcast outlets to refuse coverage in solidarity
."You should not be here covering me,” Trump told Collins before his speech, when she asked when the war with Iran would end. “You said you weren't going to cover me. You shouldn't be covering me."
Trump told reporters attending the assembly that he revoked White House press credentials for CNN, MS NOW and Politico because
they were “dangerous.” But the outlets won at least a temporary reprieve after fighting in federal court to regain their credentials, with reporters from all three outlets being allowed back inside the White House on Thursday.
In clips of the Tuesday interaction posted to social media, people took to the comments to share their reactions. While some sided with Trump, many were in support of Collins, who has frequently gone head-to-head with the president. Thanks to moments like these, the journalist has become a cultural talking point, with many women relating to and praising how she handles these interactions in her workplace.
"I love that she gets under his skin," one user wrote.
"Loved her, the most courageous reporter, fearless," another wrote.
"Go get 'em girl, don't let 'em push you around. I think he forgets he's the guest in the people's house," another wrote.
"She’s such a professional. I would’ve cussed his (expletive) out a long time ago," another shared.
"I love she never backs down and stands on facts," another said.
"And she keeps going. She is awesome," another added.
'Stupid and nasty' and more of Trump's remarks about Collins
This isn't the first time Collins and Trump have clashed.
The news anchor, 34, has frequently sparred with the president. In 2018, during his first administration, she was even banned from a White House event, according to previous USA TODAY reporting.
In December 2025, in a post to Truth Social, the president called the correspondent “stupid and nasty” while discussing construction on the White House ballroom.
In February, Trump criticized Collins for "not smiling" at him after she raised a question about the files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"You are the worst reporter," Trump told Collins during an exchange in the Oval Office on Feb. 3. "CNN has no ratings because of people like you."
He continued, "You know she's a young woman – I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile. I’ve known you for 10 years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face. You know why you're not smiling? Because you know you're not telling the truth."
And in June, the president accused her of having “hatred in her eyes,” while he spoke to reporters in the Oval Office.
The president berated CNN, calling it “crooked as hell” and “a very corrupt organization” before turning his attention to Collins.
"CNN's a very corrupt organization, with a corrupt reporter standing right there," Trump said about Collins. "Never smiles. She's a young, beautiful woman (who) never smiles. I've never seen a smile off her face. I see her standing there with hatred in her eyes."
On Collins' social media, others have chimed in in the comment section with praise, too.
"Always the only person in the room with a spine ... Wish more men could be like her," one wrote.
"You go Kaitlin (sic)!!!!!! Women strong," another wrote.
"Honestly I don’t know how you remain so calm and collected around him. I would explode. You are super human," another added.
CNN praises Collins as an 'exceptional journalist'
In a recent statement to USA TODAY, CNN supported its correspondent, calling Collins an "exceptional journalist."
“Kaitlan Collins is an exceptional journalist, reporting every day from the White House and the field with real depth and tenacity," the outlet's statement said. "She skillfully brings that reporting to the anchor chair and CNN platforms every day, which audiences around the world know they can trust.”
Contributing: Bart Jansen, Saman Shafiq, Jay Stahl and Melina Khan, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amid Trump's attempted media ban, Kaitlan Collins is having a moment − again
