By Charles Switzer
8:42am PST, Feb 14, 2025
Trump Clashes With CNN's Kaitlan Collins in Oval Office
During a tense exchange in the Oval Office on Thursday, February 13, President
Donald Trump openly dismissed CNN's chief White House correspondent,
Kaitlan Collins, after she pressed him on his trust in Russian President
Vladimir Putin. When Collins asked whether Trump believed Putin wanted peace, he responded affirmatively before she followed up with, "Do you trust President Putin?"
Seemingly irritated, Trump cut her off, redirecting the blame for the war in Ukraine to President
Joe Biden and questioning CNN's credibility.
The host also didn't get much support from her colleagues either as laughter filled the room the more Collins pressed the president.
Here's what happened.
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Trump Blames Biden for Ukraine War, Sidesteps Putin Question
Rather than directly answering Collins' question, Trump launched into a speech lamenting the destruction caused by the three-year
war in Ukraine. He described the bombed-out cities as "world-class demolition sites" and suggested that Biden should have prevented the war in the first place.
"This should have been done by Biden years ago. This should have never been allowed to happen," Trump said, doubling down on his stance that Ukraine's devastation was avoidable.
CNN Reporter Presses On, Trump Fires Back
Collins attempted to refocus the discussion by asking whether Putin could simply withdraw his forces, but Trump ignored the question, instead taking a jab at CNN. He sarcastically suggested that Putin was a "friend of CNN" and added, "That's why nobody watches CNN anymore — because they have no credibility."
His remark quickly shifted the mood in the room, drawing laughter from other reporters present.
Laughter Drowns Out CNN's Questions
As Collins attempted to regain control of the conversation, her questions were drowned out by laughter from her fellow journalists.
Trump's offhand remark about
CNN's viewership effectively shut down the exchange, leaving her concerns about Putin and Ukraine unanswered. The moment only further highlighted Trump's ongoing adversarial relationship with CNN, as well as his strategy of deflecting uncomfortable questions with attacks on the press.
