CNN Reporter’s Story About Trump White House Undercuts ‘Fascist’ Claims

A revealing admission from CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins is drawing renewed scrutiny to claims from Democratic critics that President Donald J. Trump’s administration seeks to silence the press.

During an appearance on the “Absolutely Not” podcast hosted by Heather McMahan, Collins recounted an incident that occurred while she was traveling overseas with the White House press pool during President Trump’s second term. The setting: Saudi Arabia — a nation widely known for its restrictive media environment.

Collins explained that while attempting to ask a question during a presidential event, Saudi officials reacted negatively.

“They famously do not like the media there, to put it lightly,” Collins said, describing the atmosphere. According to Collins, members of the Saudi royal guard responded sharply when she attempted to speak. She was subsequently informed that she would not be allowed to attend a later event.

Uncertain how the situation would unfold, members of the traveling press pool elevated the matter to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. What happened next, Collins acknowledged, ran counter to the prevailing narrative pushed by many of the administration’s detractors.

“And to her credit, she said, no, Kaitlin is coming in with the rest of the U.S. press. And we went in. And so it didn’t become this huge issue,” Collins said. “And so to her credit, she, without a doubt, was like, no, you’re coming in. Which I do think is important in that moment, especially when you’re the U.S. contingent abroad, and we don’t do things like they do in Saudi Arabia.”

In other words, the Trump administration intervened — not to restrict access — but to ensure that an American journalist from one of the president’s most frequent media critics remained part of the official press delegation.

The episode unfolded against the backdrop of years of public sparring between President Trump and major outlets such as CNN. Yet despite heated exchanges and rhetorical clashes, the president has continued to hold frequent press availabilities, regularly fielding questions from reporters across the political spectrum — often at length.

Supporters argue that such engagement reflects a distinction between robust criticism of media bias and actual suppression of press freedom. Collins’ account reinforces that distinction.

Notably, Saudi Arabia does not operate under First Amendment-style protections. By insisting that Collins be included with the American press corps, Leavitt signaled that U.S. standards — rooted in constitutional principles and a free press tradition — would guide how American journalists are treated when traveling with the president abroad.

Collins herself framed the intervention as meaningful, emphasizing that it prevented the situation from escalating into a larger diplomatic or media controversy. There have been no reports of further restrictions on her access during the trip following the press secretary’s involvement.

The story has circulated widely online, with commentators pointing to it as evidence that political friction between the Trump administration and certain media outlets has not translated into formal bans or exclusion from official coverage.

For an administration frequently accused by Democratic lawmakers and activists of hostility toward democratic norms, the episode presents a contrasting image: one in which the White House defended a CNN correspondent’s access in a country known for limiting press freedom.

As Collins observed, the incident underscored a clear difference between American constitutional protections and practices in nations that lack comparable safeguards — and, in this case, demonstrated that those protections were actively upheld by the Trump administration.