US President Donald Trump lashed out at a female reporter during a tense Oval Office exchange, snapping “You are the worst reporter” and telling her, “I don't think I've ever seen you smile,” after she pressed him about the latest Jeffrey Epstein document release.
The confrontation unfolded when CNN’s Kaitlan Collins raised concerns about how the US Justice Department handled files linked to the convicted sex offender. She noted that “a lot of women who are survivors of Epstein are unhappy with” the redactions, adding that “entire witness interviews are totally blacked out.” Collins then asked what he would say to survivors who feel they have not received justice.
Trump tried to shut down the line of questioning, replying: “I think it’s really time for the country to get on to something else, now that nothing came out about me”. He went further, saying, “Nothing came out about me other than it was a conspiracy against me, literally, by Epstein and other people. But I think it's time now for the country to maybe get on to something else like health care or something that people care about.”
As Collins continued, Trump lashed out. “You are the worst reporter. CNN has no ratings because of people like you. I don't think I've ever seen you smile. For 10 years I've never seen a smile on your face. You know why you're not smiling? Because you know you're not telling the truth.” He added: “You are so bad. You know, you are the worst reporter. No wonder. CNN has no ratings because of people like you.”
CNN later described Collins as “an exceptional journalist” who reports “with real depth and tenacity”. As reporters were ushered out of the Oval Office, Trump was heard repeating that “she never smiles” while gesturing towards the press.
The clash came as the political and legal fallout from the Epstein document releases continued on both sides of the Atlantic. In the United States, prominent figures including Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton are due to testify before Congress. Neither Trump nor the Clintons have been accused of criminal wrongdoing connected to Epstein.
In the UK, former British ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson resigned from the House of Lords amid controversy over his past links to Epstein, and British police said they were examining possible “misconduct in public office offenses”. The latest files have also revived scrutiny around Prince Andrew and others previously associated with the disgraced financier.
