Former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham shared an anecdote alleging that Donald Trump told authoritarian leaders Kim Jong Un of North Korea and Xi Jinping of China that the American press were "animals."
Grisham recounted the alleged exchange during a discussion on CNN with anchor Erin Burnett. She stated that Trump made the remarks to both leaders during his first term.
"For North Korea I actually physically fought those guards to get the press into that room," Grisham said, referring to her role in facilitating press access. She then alleged Trump told Kim and Xi, "The press. Aren’t they animals? They’re animals, they’re crazy, you have the right idea."
"So he absolutely wants to have a presidency more on the side of dictators," Grisham added.
Burnett responded with apparent astonishment, calling the account "incredible" and repeating Trump's alleged remark, "They’re animals and you have the right idea."
Grisham's account comes amid ongoing criticism of Trump's rhetoric and actions concerning the media. This includes his administration's past ban on certain news organizations, such as CNN, from the White House grounds, a ban that a judge later ordered overturned.
<blockquote data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Former Trump WH Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham says she heard Trump tell both Chinese and North Korean officials that they had “the right idea” about the press, describing reporters as “animals.” <a href="https://t.co/TorKBRDI0X">pic.twitter.com/TorKBRDI0X</a></p>— Erin Burnett OutFront (@OutFrontCNN) <a href="https://x.com/OutFrontCNN/status/2102915594593169505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2026</a></blockquote>