Trump tells CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the UN that she should not be there covering him
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, speaking to reporters at the United Nations
Before addressing the UN General Assembly, President Trump told CNN's Kaitlan Collins he was surprised CNN was covering him and that she should not be there covering him, saying CNN had said it would not cover him. Collins replied that the United Nations allowed CNN in, and later said CNN never said it would stop covering the president.
“You should not be here covering me. You said you weren't going to cover me.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should President Trump bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over their coverage?
On Friday, September 18, 2026, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that, "effective immediately, I am banning" CNN, MS NOW and Politico "from the White House as a result of their constant 'reporting' FAKE NEWS!" About an hour later, in the Oval Office, he said no particular story prompted the decision, that he does not want the outlets "in my office," and that "somebody has a right to keep them away" if outlets write false stories. The three outlets and press-freedom groups oppose the exclusion, citing constitutional protection for the press, and the White House Correspondents' Association said it "stands in defense of our colleagues at CNN, MSNOW, and POLITICO." On Saturday, September 19, MS NOW, CNN and Politico said their White House reporters were refused entry and had press passes confiscated; the White House referred questions to Trump's earlier remarks. The dispute is over whether President Trump should exclude named news organizations from White House access over what they report.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
CNBC report on President Trump's exchange with CNN's Kaitlan Collins before he addressed the UN General Assembly on Sept. 22, 2026. It quotes Collins asking about a poll on the Iran war, Trump saying he is surprised CNN is covering him, Collins replying that the United Nations allowed CNN in, and Trump's answer. It also quotes Collins saying afterward that CNN never said it would not cover the president. CNBC discloses that it and MS NOW are divisions of Versant Media.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Trump spoke on Tuesday, September 22, four days after announcing the exclusion and the day after the outlets filed their lawsuit. Collins had asked him about a poll on the Iran war.
After the quotation
That evening Trump called Collins and CNN "SLEAZEBAGS" in a Truth Social post, recorded separately as statement 1684.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to Trump's decision to exclude CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House access because of their coverage, Trump tells CNN's correspondent she should not be covering him, which defends treating the outlet as one that should not have access to him. We labeled it Defended or excused.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- CNN, Kaitlan Collins
More from this case
Read the full caseFreedom of the Press Foundation calls the ruling a "stinging defeat" for the press ban
Freedom of the Press Foundation
“This decision is a stinging defeat for Trump's assault on the free press and a powerful vindication of the First Amendment. As Judge Kelly recognized, presidents don't get to use their power to purge journalists because they don't like what they report.”Read statement
Reporters Committee says the injunction ends a "blatantly unconstitutional attempt" to punish news outlets
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
“The court has put an end to a blatantly unconstitutional attempt to punish news outlets for coverage the president doesn't like. The decision protects not only CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, but all the other holders of White House passes who continued to work under the threat of retaliation — and of course the public, which deserves timely and accurate information from a press corps free from government intimidation.”Read statement
CNN chief Mark Thompson says the network will fight the ban "to the end"
“To me, it's a vote of confidence in free speech and our right, not really so much for ourselves but on behalf of the public everywhere ... No matter how many court cases, investigations, court appearances, and all the expense that that entails, we will fight this one to the end”Read statement
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- Trump tells CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the UN that she should not be there covering him
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The Dispute Index. "Trump tells CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the UN that she should not be there covering him". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2807-before-addressing-the-un-general-assembly-president-trump