Collins and Tapper fire back after Leavitt slams CNN's 'bad' coverage: 'Height of narcissism'

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: CNN anchors Kaitlan Collins and Jake Tapper pushed back forcefully after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused the network of exploiting coverage of fallen American troops to make President Donald Trump look bad.

On Wednesday, March 4, both anchors reacted to Leavitt's remarks and accused the Trump administration of disrespecting the families of fallen soldiers.

Kaitlan Collins responds to Karoline Leavitt

On Wednesday night’s edition of 'The Source with Kaitlan Collins', Collins addressed the fiery exchange that took place earlier in the day during the White House press briefing.

Responding to Leavitt’s criticism, Collins stressed that CNN’s coverage of military casualties had nothing to do with political attacks and everything to do with honoring those who died in service.

“Needless to say, our coverage of Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country is not about the president, and it’s not about CNN either,” Collins said.

She emphasized that the focus should remain on the individuals who lost their lives rather than the political debate surrounding the coverage. “It’s about the people that you’re looking at here,” she said.

Collins then read the names of several of the American service members killed in the attacks, paying tribute to their sacrifice and extending condolences to their families.

Jake Tapper slams criticism as 'narcissism'

Collins’ colleague Jake Tapper responded even more bluntly during his own broadcast later that evening, sharply criticizing the administration’s claims about media coverage.

Tapper argued that suggesting the press reported on fallen troops to hurt a president was deeply insulting to both journalists and grieving families.

“It really is the height of narcissism to think that our coverage of fallen warriors has anything to do with how we cover a president,” Tapper said.

He said he was stunned by the remarks coming from both the administration and the Pentagon.

“I’m just utterly shocked that Hegseth and now Karoline Leavitt are saying it,” Tapper added.

Calling the suggestion offensive, Tapper said fallen service members deserved attention and remembrance regardless of who occupied the White House.

“It’s so offensive to the families who deserve coverage,” he said, adding that if anything, the nation often fails to give enough recognition to those killed in service.

“There should be more coverage, whoever’s in the building behind you,” Tapper said.

Karoline Leavitt's brutal words to Kaitlan Collins and CNN

The responses from Collins and Tapper came after a heated exchange between Collins and Leavitt during Wednesday's White House press briefing.

Collins asked Leavitt whether comments from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth meant that the administration believed the media should avoid prominently reporting on the deaths of American service members.

Leavitt rejected that interpretation and accused CNN of deliberately twisting the administration’s message.

“That’s not what the secretary said, Kaitlan, and that’s not what the secretary meant,” Leavitt said during the briefing. “You know you are being disingenuous.”

The press secretary then escalated the criticism, accusing the network of portraying the administration negatively.

“The press only wants to make the president look bad. That’s a fact,” Leavitt said.