Additional Coverage:
CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins is reportedly frustrated behind the scenes following President Donald Trump’s decision to ban several news outlets from the White House press pool.
On September 21, reports surfaced offering insight into how Collins, 34, has been coping with her network’s exclusion. While she has maintained a calm and professional demeanor on air, sources reveal that Collins is visibly irritated and upset with the President’s move to bar CNN, Politico, and MSNBC from access.
The ban, announced on September 18, came after President Trump criticized these outlets for what he labeled “fake news” coverage. According to insiders, the decision was influenced by a clip presented to Trump by his aide Natalie Harp, which portrayed the networks unfavorably.
A CNN producer told the Daily Mail that the situation has created mixed feelings within the network. “This is annoying, and of course, everyone is mad, especially Kaitlan.
But at the same time, this is also an opportunity,” the producer said. CNN executives are reportedly considering how to leverage the increased attention Collins has received as a result of the ban.
“She didn’t want this, but it happened,” the source added. “Now the conversation is: What do we do with it?
How do we leverage it? It could lead to a bigger, better show and greater visibility.
The bosses are deciding what comes next.”
The producer emphasized that this controversy has raised Collins’ profile in a way few other events could. “This makes her relevant. It’s getting her name out there like never before.”
In response to the ban, Collins took to social media, quoting President Trump’s own words: “‘It’s all been a victory,’ Trump says of his presidency while lamenting a lack of positive coverage when asked why he is banning several outlets, including CNN, from the White House.”
That same day, CNN, Politico, and MSNBC filed a lawsuit challenging the ban on First Amendment grounds. Their joint statement declared: “We are filing this lawsuit to protect our First Amendment rights and to defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.
Without notice or due process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting. Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
Following these developments, President Trump tweeted on September 19, announcing the bans and criticizing the networks for what he described as “fiction and lies” in their coverage of his administration. He also singled out Politico, alleging it received an “illegal and ridiculous” government subscription under the Biden administration to “keep them alive.”
Trump concluded his statement by warning that “other fake news media outlets” could face similar restrictions in the future.