Trump Attacks CNN's Kaitlan Collins as 'Unprofessional' and 'Unhappy'

Donald Trump recently renewed his personal attacks on CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins, continuing a pattern of targeting female reporters. The former president's remarks came as he explained his decision to intensify his criticism of the media in the weeks leading up to the 2026 midterm elections.

Last month, Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, alleging they published false reports. A federal judge issued a temporary injunction against the ban, but CNN was subsequently barred from covering Trump's trip to Texas and Oklahoma.

Amidst this backdrop, Trump expressed his frustrations during an interview with Time magazine published on Thursday. He criticized news organizations for their coverage of him and his administration, stating, "If I do the finest thing, if I found the cure to cancer, they would say, ‘Why didn’t he move quicker?’ They are just horrible people, and they’re so bad."

He continued to express his belief in a free and honest press but distinguished it from what he termed "fake news." Trump asserted that he knows when reporting is fake "because I know the thing." He added that while he doesn't mind negative stories if he has done something wrong, "the press, if somebody’s going to call me, if every single story is—look, I’ve done a lot of good stuff. I’m in the Oval Office. I mean, the public is very smart. If I wasn’t doing a good job, I wouldn’t have won that election by a lot."

Trump lamented that he receives "bad story after bad story," and that "most of them are fake, and it’s not only CNN, and it’s not only MSDNC. It’s a lot of other people."

He claimed that he "can name 100 great things I’ve done" but that the press is never "fair." He stated, "Doesn’t have to be good. All it has to be is fair."

Singling out Collins, Trump remarked, "So at a certain point, you say, ‘What’s the purpose of like this crazy Kaitlin Collins?’ She’s a very average person. She’s the most unhappy young person I’ve ever seen. If I did something spectacular by any standard, and they would write about it, they will only write badly."