Trump accuses CNN's Kaitlan Collins of 'TRUMP addiction' after UN clash
President Donald Trump accused CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins of having a "'TRUMP' addiction" in a Truth Social post published just before midnight on Tuesday.
The post followed a tense exchange that morning outside United Nations headquarters in New York. Collins, CNN's chief White House correspondent, tried to question Trump before his General Assembly remarks, according to Variety.
She asked about CNN polling that suggested Americans felt the United States was not winning the war with Iran. Trump replied on camera: "I'm surprised that CNN is here covering me. You shouldn't be here!" Collins answered: "The United Nations allowed us in, sir."
The clash follows Trump's order on Sept. 18 to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House coverage effective immediately. He called the outlets "fake news."
All three news organisations have sued Trump and three White House officials over the ban. The suit alleges the order violates the First Amendment, which protects free speech and a free press, and discriminates based on editorial viewpoint.
Four other networks then stepped back in protest. ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and Fox News said they would suspend coverage of the president at events in response to the ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
That matters for viewers because of how White House pictures reach air. A small rotating camera crew, known as the TV pool, films the president and shares the footage with all networks. That consortium is chaired by Fox News Washington bureau chief Bryan Boughton.
Late on Tuesday, the White House defended the ban in a court filing. "Access to the White House is a privilege — not a right," the filing stated.
In the same late-night post, Trump also claimed people were "ranting and raving like Lunatics, in the Press Area, at the United Nations," according to Yahoo. He asked of Collins: "Why was she there?"
What makes this stand out for people watching at home is access. The fight is no longer only about who gets to ask a question. It is about who gets to hold the camera when the question is asked.
