Annoyed by her questions about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Trump lashes out at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins

As Trump was answering questions from journalists in the Oval Office, during the visit of the President of El Salvador, he lashed out at CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins.

Collins was seeking clear explanations about the decisions made regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was wrongly deported by the Trump administration to a super-prison in El Salvador.

As the journalist was questioning Trump about his intention to help repatriate the man his administration admitted to having deported by mistake to El Salvador, he first delegated the response to Pam Bondi. Bondi claimed that Garcia was part of a criminal gang, a statement contradicted by several sources. Trump then complimented her on her good work.

Then, interrupting Kaitlan Collins in the middle of her question, he called on Stephen Miller to answer the one from CNN, justifying his action by stating that «they always ask with a slant because they are slanted because they don’t know what’s happening», adding that this was precisely why «nobody listens to them anymore.»

The journalist rephrased her question, recalling that Trump had said on board Air Force One that he would comply with a Supreme Court decision ordering the return of the person in question, a remark Kaitlan Collins was referring to, quoting Trump’s words from a few days earlier:

«If the Supreme Court said bring somebody back, I would do that, I respect the Supreme Court.»

Instead of answering the question, Trump mocked Kaitlan Collins, telling her:

«Why don’t you just say isn’t it wonderful that we’re keeping criminals out of our country, why can’t you just say that?»

Trump scolded Collins and CNN for constantly coming back to “the same things,” adding that this was precisely why nobody listened to them anymore and they had lost all credibility.

The exchange became even more heated when Trump invited Stephen Miller to answer the question addressed to the President of El Salvador. The latter had already reacted by asking the CNN journalist if, on the other hand, she would expect him to smuggle a “criminal” into the United States, a direct allusion to Garcia, qualifying the question as «preposterous», while it was about possible help to return the wrongly deported migrant.

President Trump and President Bukele both made clear in the Oval Office today that they do not intend to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the U.S. following the Supreme Court’s ruling. “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? Of course I’m not going to do it.… pic.twitter.com/FZbvEySzmk

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) April 14, 2025

Miller claimed that Garcia was a Salvadoran citizen and called it arrogant to suggest that an American media outlet could indicate how El Salvador should handle its own citizens.

This was not the only attack that CNN and Kaitlan Collins suffered during the visit of the Salvadoran President. As the latter was asking Donald Trump a question, wondering about the silence of the media, Trump retorted by pointing to the CNN journalist, stating that it was because the media was “fake news” like CNN and that they didn’t like to spread good news, adding: «I think they hate our country».

Back in the studio, Dana Bash of CNN wanted to set the record straight in the face of Trump’s shocking statement, specifying that it should go without saying, but it needed to be said clearly:

«We heard President Trump say in the Oval Office that CNN hates our country. CNN does not hate our country».

Dana Bash concluded on the subject by recalling that she had been working for CNN for 32 years, and interpreting Trump’s words as a rhetorical strategy, stating: «I see a rhetorical device in him trying to say such a thing».