Trump Tells CNN’s Kaitlan Collins She “Never Smiles” and Orders Her to “Be Quiet” During $1.8 Billion Slush Fund Exchange

Donald Trump went at it again in the Oval Office against CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins during a long exchange with journalists on the $1.8 billion slush fund. What began as a question from another female reporter quickly turned into a familiar public confrontation between the president and one of the White House correspondents who has repeatedly pressed him on sensitive subjects. Trump first defended the January 6 defendants he described as victims, then turned his attention toward CNN and Collins, calling the network «a very corrupt organization» and describing Collins as «a corrupt reporter.» He also referred to her as a «young, beautiful woman» before saying, «I never see a smile on her face» and «I see her standing with such hatred in her eyes,» shifting the exchange away from the fund and into a personal attack.

The exchange escalated when Collins later tried to clarify whether the administration had ended the $1.8 billion Department of Justice fund or merely paused it after backlash from Republicans. She asked, «Excuse me, Mr. President, just to clarify on what you were asked earlier… Is the $1.8 billion DOJ fund dead or is it on hold?» Trump did not give a direct answer, saying, «I'd have to ask the lawyers,» before again defending the idea behind the fund. He said, «I love it. I think it's so important,» and added, «The weaponization fund, as far as I'm concerned, was a beautiful thing.» When Collins continued pressing him on Republicans condemning the program, Trump cut her off and ordered her to «Be quiet,» turning the policy question into another confrontation with a reporter he has repeatedly singled out.

The controversy surrounding the fund began in January, when Donald Trump, his sons and The Trump Organization filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, claiming the agency had willfully failed to protect their private tax information after a government contractor leaked Trump's tax returns to the media. In April, Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi and appointed Todd Blanche, his former private criminal defense lawyer, as acting attorney general, placing him at the head of the Department of Justice while his former client was pursuing a major lawsuit against the federal government. In May, Blanche's Justice Department and Trump's legal team abruptly settled the IRS case out of court. Under the settlement, Trump dropped the $10 billion monetary demand in exchange for a formal apology and the creation of a $1.776 billion «Anti-Weaponization Fund» paid from federal reserves.

The fund was designed to provide financial payouts to Trump allies who claimed they had been victims of political «lawfare,» but the arrangement quickly triggered severe backlash in Washington. Critics raised questions about secrecy, political favoritism and the use of federal money for payments to people aligned with the president. The backlash intensified after a separate addendum signed one day after the settlement ordered the IRS to permanently halt ongoing and future tax audits against Trump, his family and affiliated companies. By May, the deal was facing public outrage, a federal court order temporarily blocking payouts and a revolt from congressional Republicans. GOP lawmakers warned the White House that the controversial slush fund could threaten a critical immigration funding bill worth more than $70 billion, forcing the administration to retreat from a plan Trump still praised in public.

By June, under mounting political pressure, Blanche testified before Congress and announced that the Trump administration was scrapping the fund entirely. He said, «We are not moving forward with the fund, period.» Howeverhis repeated praise for the fund itself, including his insistence that the program was important and his description of it as «a beautiful thing.»

The confrontation also revived Trump's long pattern of attacking female journalists, and particularly Collins, when they press him on serious questions. In February, Collins asked him about survivors connected to the Jeffrey Epstein case, and Trump again shifted the exchange toward her appearance and demeanor. He said, «I don't think I've ever seen you smile,» then added, «I've known you for 10 years, I don't think I've ever seen a smile on your face.» Trump then offered his own explanation, saying, «You know why you're not smiling? Because you know you're not telling the truth,» while also accusing CNN of dishonesty. CNN later defended Collins, calling her «an exceptional journalist» who reports from the White House and the field «with real depth and tenacity.» The latest exchange added another episode to a public relationship marked by sharp questions, personal attacks and repeated attempts by Trump to turn policy scrutiny into criticism of the reporter asking the question.

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