CNN's Kaitlan Collins admits Trump 'embraced media' more than his predecessors

WASHINGTON, DC: CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins has acknowledged that President Donald Trump “embraced” the media in ways few presidents have, crediting him for reshaping how the White House interacts with reporters, even as the two have often clashed publicly.

During an appearance on Jason Tartick’s 'Trading Secrets' podcast on Monday, October 7, Collins reflected on her years covering the Trump and Biden administrations, saying Trump’s approach to the press was vastly different from his predecessors.

Donald Trump ‘embraced’ press unlike other presidents, says Kaitlan Collins

Collins, who covered the Trump White House for CNN before becoming an anchor, said that Trump’s willingness to engage directly with reporters set him apart from other presidents, including Barack Obama.

“When you speak to reporters who covered President Obama, he almost never responded to shouted questions,” Collins said. “It wasn’t his thing. He would have his moments with world leaders, and then you would leave the Oval. Trump kind of upended that when he came into the White House. Sometimes presidents are press-averse. Trump embraced the media.”

She noted that Trump’s familiarity with publicity long predated his political career.

“He did it for decades as like this New York mogul, and so he just had a different approach to the press and always has long before taking office,” she said. “Most politicians are not very press-savvy. It kind of depends on who it is.”

Kaitlan Collins says she keeps ‘running list’ of questions to stay ready for Trump’s sudden interactions

The CNN anchor shared that Trump often made spontaneous press interactions part of his daily routine, forcing reporters to stay constantly prepared.

“Trump will swear someone in, and then he’ll turn to you and say, ‘Any questions?’ And he’ll take questions for 45 minutes,” Collins said.

To keep up, Collins said she maintains “a running list” of potential questions for every White House event because “Trump has been known to turn almost any situation into a press conference.”

Calling Donald Trump directly for comment

Kaitlan Collins also revealed that she has personally called Trump for comments on major breaking news stories, something she said is rare for sitting presidents.

“I would just call him directly,” she said. “I didn’t make a habit out of it, but if there was something huge happening, ike the day of the Mar-a-Lago raid when the FBI showed up and executed a search warrant over the classified documents, I just called him directly and asked if this is true. And it was true. And he sent me the statement immediately confirming it.”

The anecdote highlights Trump’s accessibility to the media, despite his frequent criticisms of outlets like CNN and individual reporters such as Collins herself.

Collins and Trump have famously sparred during press briefings, with the president calling her a “low-rated anchor” and mocking CNN’s viewership.

However, Collins credited Trump and his team for maintaining a level of press openness even amid heated exchanges.

She recalled an incident during Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia in May, when she shouted a question to the president while he stood alongside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The royal guard reportedly reprimanded her, saying she could not attend the next event.

“To Karoline Leavitt’s credit, she was like, ‘No, Kaitlan’s coming in with the rest of the US press,’” Collins said, referring to Trump’s White House press secretary. “So I went into the next event. But I think things like that, you can disagree about questions and briefings and whatnot. Press access is key and every administration, I think, should protect that.”