Trump tells CNN reporter at UN 'You should not be here covering me' amid White House ban
During his visit to the United Nations General Assembly, President Trump confronted CNN chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins as she asked about the Iran war. He told her, "I'm surprised that CNN is here covering me. You should not be here covering me. You said you weren't going to cover me." The encounter came days after Trump banned CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from White House grounds, a move being challenged in federal court on First Amendment grounds. Collins reminded Trump that the UN had issued her press credentials. The exchange underscored the administration's escalating campaign to restrict access by news outlets it accuses of "fake news."
“I'm surprised that CNN is here covering me. You should not be here covering me. You said you weren't going to cover me.” Quote verified against source
Analysis Feed
AI commentaryThis confrontation extends Trump's press ban beyond the White House to international venues, demonstrating personal animus toward CNN and the authoritarian tendency to treat independent media as an enemy requiring personal loyalty to cover official events. The incident further illustrates the degradation of press freedom under the pretense of combating 'fake news.'