President Donald Trump has repeatedly focused on CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins’ appearance and whether she smiles enough. On Tuesday, September 8, he lashed out at her once again, calling her “very dumb” and “unhappy.”
In a Truth Social post that evening, Trump complained about a panel discussion that Collins led. He didn’t specify which panel discussion bothered him, but he was clearly pretty upset by it. In his post, he claimed that the unspecified discussion was full of “fiction and lies.” Of course, because he didn’t say anything about the actual subject matter, the specific details that aggravated him remain unclear.
Instead, he focused more on attacking Collins’ character.
Trump on CNN’s Kaitlan Collins:
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 25, 2026
“She's a young, attractive woman. She never smiles. I said, 'Kaitlan do you ever smile?' Smile. You have a nice position, you're at CNN fake news. You should be a happy person. So smile, Kaitlan, just smile." pic.twitter.com/bc0a1DU07N
Trump has made headlines numerous times after calling reporters “stupid” or “ugly.” When it comes to Collins specifically, he has repeatedly complained about how she is actually a “young, attractive woman,” but doesn’t smile enough.
Notably, one of the times in which he complained about her not smiling was when she asked him a question about sexual assault survivors. In his latest Truth Social post about her, he wrote, “Very dumb and unhappy Fake News CNN ‘reporter,’ Kaitlan Collins (really low ratings, also!), had a panel where discussions were all FICTION AND LIES.”
He then complained about CNN in general. “You would think that CNN, which is suffering terribly in the TV Ratings, would get rid of their 3rd rate ‘anchors,’ and try to bring credibility back to their once storied network,” he continued. “It is fading FAST! See you all at the Republican National Convention tomorrow night!!!”
It’s possible he was reacting to a panel Collins moderated on Monday.
On September 7, Collins hosted a special “Countdown to Election Night” panel discussion. One of the panelists, Republican strategist Doug Heye, claimed that things are looking pretty “bleak” for Republicans ahead of midterms. He specifically mentioned that Trump has contributed to this, claiming that things are looking especially bleak “because of where the president’s numbers are,” per Mediaite.
Another part of the issue, he claimed, is that “Donald wants to spend money on himself,” so “the Trump campaign has not been spending money to help Republican candidates.”
He took it a step further and added, “The other issue is then what Donald Trump talks about, whether he’s off topic or not, or when he’s on topic, he tells voters, ‘We’ve never been hotter or richer,’ and voters don’t feel hot or rich right now.”
These comments are not necessarily what prompted Trump’s angry post though. Later that night, Collins led another panel discussion on concerns about the economy and affordability, per The Daily Beast. The panelists discussed how Trump’s claims about the economy being great don’t line up with what ordinary Americans are actually experiencing. So, it’s possible that this discussion also left Trump feeling enraged.
Trump frequently targets Collins specifically.
Trump attacking Kaitlan Collins: CNN's a very corrupt organization, with a corrupt reporter standing right there, never smiles. Young, beautiful woman, never smiles. I never see a smile on her face. I see her standing with such hatred in her eyes. pic.twitter.com/mF2dKWKC48
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 3, 2026
She’s, of course, not the only journalist he has lashed out at, but he has targeted her multiple times.
Earlier this year, when Collins asked Trump a question about Jeffrey Epstein and “the survivors who feel like they haven’t gotten justice,” Trump complained that she wasn’t smiling.
“You know, she’s a young woman. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile,” he said at the time. “I’ve known you for ten years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face.”
He then added, “‘Cause you know you’re not telling the truth, and you’re a very dishonest organization, and they should be ashamed of you.”
Months later, in June, Trump referred to Collins as “a corrupt reporter” who “never smiles” and has “hatred in her eyes.”
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