A CNN reporter has responded publicly after a clip of Donald Trump criticizing her for “never smiling” went viral earlier this week.
Journalist and anchor Kaitlan Collins was present at a White House press conference on Tuesday (February 3), where the Republican leader fielded questions about his name appearing in the most recent release of the Epstein files.
Trump, now 79, is among many well-known figures whose names surfaced in photos, videos, and emails previously held by the US Department of Justice related to the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein.
Following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche began a phased release of the documents. The materials also reference a wide range of prominent individuals, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Sarah Ferguson, Lord Peter Mandelson, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Steve Bannon, Mette-Marit, Larry Summers, and Bill Gates.Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement in or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, despite past social connections between the two. He maintains that they had a falling out long before Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.
When reporters questioned him about his presence in what has been described as the final batch of files during the Oval Office meeting, Trump again dismissed the issue, stating, “Nothing came out about me.”Collins referenced the inclusion of Elon Musk and current Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in the documents—something Trump waved off as insignificant, claiming there were no major headlines about them. She also pressed him on recent redactions in the files, which some Epstein survivors have criticized as a lack of transparency.
As she began asking, “What would you say to survivors—” Trump abruptly cut her off.
