US President Donald Trump confronted CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins at the United Nations on Tuesday, questioning why she was covering his appearance days after his administration barred CNN and two other major news organisations from the White House.
“You should not be here covering me. You said you weren’t going to cover me. You shouldn’t be covering me,” Trump told Collins at UN headquarters in New York.
Collins responded that CNN had been credentialed by the United Nations to cover the 81st General Assembly.
She had asked Trump when the war on Iran would end, prompting his response before the exchange turned to the media-access dispute.
Later, Trump criticised Collins and CNN in a post on Truth Social, accusing the network and its journalists of being overly focused on his presidency and using disparaging language against them.
UN credentials remain separate from White House access
The confrontation came after the Trump administration revoked press access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, preventing them from entering the White House complex.
The three outlets filed a federal lawsuit on Monday challenging the restrictions, arguing that the move violates First Amendment protections for freedom of the press.
A federal court hearing on their request for temporary relief is scheduled in Washington.
The outlets have continued covering Trump outside the White House, including his UN appearance, using United Nations credentials rather than White House credentials.
The distinction was central to Tuesday’s confrontation, as CNN journalists remained authorised to report from the General Assembly despite the separate White House restrictions.
Media standoff moves into the courts
The dispute has widened beyond the three affected outlets. Major television networks suspended participation in the White House television pool after CNN was excluded, disrupting a system used to distribute live presidential coverage to news organisations.
Trump has defended the White House restrictions, accusing the targeted outlets of publishing what he describes as false or misleading reports.
On Tuesday, he also indicated he would probably restore their access if a court ruled against his administration.
The legal battle now puts the administration’s control over White House access and the press’s constitutional protections at the centre of the dispute, with the court proceedings expected to shape the next stage of the confrontation.
