US president Donald Trump has scolded a CNN reporter for not smiling as she asked about survivors of Jeffrey’s Epstein’s abuse.
Frustrated by Kaitlan Collins’s persistence in asking questions about Epstein during an Oval Office event he wanted to use to promote himself and his party, Trump berated CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins for supposedly not smiling enough in his presence.
The exchange began with Collins pointing out that Trump’s attempt to frame the disclosures in the latest batch of Epstein files as damning only for Democrats came as the files also revealed that Epstein had close ties to two of his allies, Elon Musk and Howard Lutnick, his commerce secretary.
Trump shrugged dismissively as Collins mentioned Musk and Lutnick and said he had not read their friendly emails with Epstein, the late sex offender he was also friends with for 17 years.
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“I’m sure they’re fine, otherwise there would’ve been major headlines,” he said.
There were, in fact, headlines about the revelations that Musk and Lutnick were closer to Epstein than they had previously stated.
When Collins noted that “a lot of women who are survivors of Epstein are unhappy with” the way the justice department redacted the documents, including “entire witness interviews are totally blacked out”, Trump attempted to end the discussion by saying: “I think it’s really time for the country to get on to something else, now that nothing came out about me.”
The president then suggested that there was “a conspiracy against me”, in reference to a previously disclosed email exchange in which the author Michael Wolff had urged Epstein to “help finish” Trump’s 2016 campaign by coming forward after the Access Hollywood recording of Trump’s claim that he liked to grab women by their genitals was published. Epstein, however, did not agree to do that, so there was no conspiracy.
When Trump tried to end the exchange by repeating: “I think it’s time, now, for the country maybe to get on to something else,” Collins asked: “But what would you say to people who feel they haven’t gotten justice, Mr president?”
“What did you say?” an irritated Trump shot back. He then launched into a personal attack on Collins, a former reporter for the conservative Daily Caller who he has repeatedly vented anger at during both of his terms in office.
“What would you say to people, the survivors who feel that they haven’t gotten justice?” Collins asked.
“You know, you are the worst reporter,” Trump said disdainfully. “You know, she’s a young woman,” Trump said to the Republican lawmakers arrayed around his desk. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile,” he said, turning back to Collins.
“I’ve known you for ten years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face,” Trump said.
“Well”, Collins interjected, “I’m asking you about survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, Mr president.”
Ignoring her reply, Trump continued his rant: “You know why you’re not smiling? Because you know you’re not telling the truth. And you’re a very dishonest organisation, and they should be ashamed of you.”
“These are survivors of a sexual abuser,” Collins replied.
Trump then ended the exchange by turning to another reporter who obliged by changing the subject away from Epstein, the notorious paedophile the future president once called “a lot of fun to be with”.
“It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,” Trump said of his friend in 2002.
Trump’s aides immediately clipped video of the exchange and posted it on an official White House social media account with a caption suggesting he had “nuked” her.
In 2020, Trump stormed out of a news conference when Collins refused to help him take the floor away from another reporter Trump had cut off for asking what he called “a nasty question”.
