President Donald Trump continued his rhetorical attacks on mainstream media after issuing a controversial ban on several outlets from the White House press pool.
CNN, MS NOW, and Politico have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to regain access while other news outlets have boycotted the press pool as a form of protest.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “She’s got a ‘TRUMP’ addiction, and so does CNN and MSDNC. They’re all sick, treasonous, and demented!”
The president was referring to an incident in which Kaitlan Collins, a United Nations press reporter credentialed by the United Nations, asked him during his address to the General Assembly about when the Iran war would end.
“Then why were they ranting and raving like Lunatics, in the Press Area, at the United Nations?” Trump added. “Why was she there? She’s got a ‘TRUMP’ addiction, and so does CNN and MSDNC. They’re all sick, treasonous, and demented! The ‘good news’ is that they have a great, for them, and totally disloyal Judge.”
Collins later stated that she was credentialed by the United Nations and denied CNN had claimed the network would not cover him.
“We will continue to cover the president and his speech and as he meets with world leaders today, just not with a TV camera from one of the five major networks in the room,” she said.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed by Trump during his first term as president, is presiding over the case.
Collins also faced White House restrictions in 2018. Fox News defended her at that time and urged the administration to back off. CNN host Jake Tapper defended Collins on Wednesday, writing: “Not going to dignify the president’s juvenile social media post about our brilliant @kaitlancollins except to say she and we are going to keep doing our jobs,” he added. “Which is to ask and cover the questions voters care about — like those about the war in Iran and the economy.”
