Guys, good news! Donald Trump was just incredibly kind and open about answering a reporter’s question. Honestly? This civility was a breath of fresh air. <3
Just kidding! He just absolutely lost it on yet another female reporter.
His response? Nope, because he has “a lot of things” he’s doing.
Collins followed up on her original question, saying that some of the survivors of Epstein were unhappy with how much was redacted from the released documents.
To which Trump replied that they were actually unhappy because the DOJ “released too much.” And, he said that it’s “time for the country to get on to something else.”
He also said that (even though he says he hasn’t read the files), he knows that nothing came out about him. In fact, he said that the whole thing was a “conspiracy” against him, orchestrated by “Epstein and other people.”
Collins restated her question: “But what would you say to people who feel like they haven’t gotten justice, Mr. President?”
That’s when Trump snapped, saying, “You are so bad. You are the worst reporter. No wonder…CNN has no ratings because of people like you.”
“You know, she’s a young woman,” Trump continued. “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 you’re a very dishonest organization. And, they should be ashamed of you,” Trump finished.
Another video shows Trump seemingly continuing to whine about Collins not smiling as reporters leave. “She never smiles,” Trump said, gesturing towards the reporter pool.
So, yup! That’s a president, btw!
Collins posted the full video of her exchange with Trump alongside the caption, “President Trump argues the country should move on from the Epstein files and lashes out when asked about the survivors’ response to the latest release from the Justice Department.”
CNN, her employer, also issued a statement to The Wrap, saying, “Kaitlan Collins is an exceptional journalist, reporting every day from the White House and the field with real depth and tenacity. She skillfully brings that reporting to the anchor chair and CNN platforms every day, which audiences around the world know they can trust.”
Even celebrities Ben Stiller and Piers Morgan came to Collins’s defense.
The internet is weighing in on the matter, too. “How the fuck is this real life. How have we normalized this stupid childish fuck being the president,” one tweet reads.
“A president demanding a woman ‘smile’ isn’t strength. It’s insecurity! He weaponizes sexism when he can’t handle questions. He’s so pathetic!”
“This is how the president of the United States treats a reporter asking him very serious questions about Epstein and survivors of sexual abuse, by verbally harassing her and telling her to smile more.”
“So, she should grin at you while asking about survivors of sexual assault. Do I have that right?”
“I know we’ve gotten used to it, but this type of behavior is disgusting and people should speak up about it.”
“You would have to hold me back if this man spoke to me this way at my workplace holy shit.”
“The next reporter not repeating the question, and the next, and the next, until answered is a huge problem in American journalism. It basically turns the media from an informative process to a mouthpiece for lies. These press briefings are beyond useless at this point.”
“y’all gotta start cussing this man smooth TF out. I’m not even joking.”