Kaitlan Collins - Focusing on Reporting, Not Trump’s Insults | The Daily Show

Chief White House correspondent and anchor of The Source with Caitlin Collins, please welcome to the program, Caitlin Collins.What'd you do?Anything fun?

It was good.It was quiet.

It was quiet.

No, it wasn't.

That was Friday night.

Yeah.

There are times when I watch him, and I think to myself, this can't be real.Like, this can't be America.America, you've heard of us.

We're great.Been here.You've been here for years.34 years.Yes.

We're the best.In the room that night, Did it feel surreal?Was he bombing as hard as it appeared on the TV?

You know, I've covered Trump for 10 years.And so I've listened to pretty much all of his speeches for 10 years, with very little exception.And so I actually think it's helpful for other people to be able to listen to them.in their entirety, which people really don't that much these days.In the room, I think I was not surprised when he insulted me.That happens pretty regularly inside the Oval Office.

This is just a bigger venue where it was happening.What was most surprising to me was the room was filled with a lot of his staffers, his cabinet, his allies,Republicans in Congress.It was so quiet in the room during the president's remarks.

Do you, because of how much they respect him?

Who's to say?

Hard to tell, really.In your mind, having viewed, first of all, what do you think is going on with his relationship to you?You are, I have to give you a great amount of credit, you are unflappable in those terms.You asked very straightforward questions.I have, I've written some stuff down about like, you've asked it about, you pardoned the founder of Binance, all these different things you're asking about that.A very straightforward question about why he pardoned this gentleman who now has an involvement in his family's crypto business or had helped promote it.

His answer to you on that was, you said to him, this guy admitted to his crimes.Trump said to you, you don't know much about crypto.You know nothing about nothing.You're fake news.

But he didn't answer the question.No.And then he said he didn't really know who the person was.

Right.Why?You are very straightforward with him.You don't play coy.You don't frame it in gotcha ways.And he just said it.

You're a terrible person.You're a stupid person.You don't smile.When that's done, does someone...Is there an office of, like, smoothing things out that comes to your office and says...Like, in a bar, when your friend gets in a fight, like, hey, man, he's drunk.

Like, I'm so sorry.Like...What ha...What do they do?Are they embarrassed?

You know, but that's why I ask the questions the way I do, is because I want anyone to be able to listen to -to what I'm asking, whether that's at a briefing or duringmoment with the president, and think, you know, I want to know the answer to that, too, or that is a good question.I don't want it to only serve one audience or one political leaning.I want anyone, you know, from my family in Alabama to people in the White House, people in Washington, to be able to hear that answer or hear that question and think, what is the answer to that?

And so...Well, the answer is very clearly, you should smile more.That's the answer to all the questions.watching what when he was doing that you're sitting next to Wolf Blitzer yes Wolf Blitzer is a 78 year -old man not a lot of density in those bones I know what I'm talking about I'm in the same position he looked like he wanted to go up there and shake him he was so angry on your behalf but you don't get angry How do you maintain that level of detach?

Well, first off, can I say about Wolf?Wolf actually picked me up for the dinner that night, and we rode together to go to the dinner.He was presenting the awards that night after he was supposed to do them back in April.

He still has his license?

I'm still in driver.We went to the dinner together, and Wolf and I are really good friends.He was one of the first people that I met when I worked at, when I started at CNN.And he's called me every day since Friday.And he's just a dear friend.But actually, one of the best parts of the dinner was Wolf reading the descriptions of the awards.

In front of him.

And why people, why the reporters got them.You know, my colleagues, who also did esteemed reporting, great reporting, and deserved those awards.And so I loved hearing Wolf read the descriptions of what they were and why people got them.them.In terms of my reaction, I've always felt this.Regardless of who's the president, whether it's Joe Biden, Donald Trump, those are the two I've covered.

It's really not about me.And I don't want it to be about my reaction.And so I think if you let it become about that, then it becomes a back and forth between the two of us.And instead, I think it's more effective to remind people in those moments when he is insulting me or when he is criticizing me about the question I asked or the reporting that I did that he was so angry about in this moment.And the fact that I got an award for it really bothered him clearly.And so I just think in those moments, it's important to put the reminder back on the work, on the question, and on the non -answers that we get.

And I appreciate that answer, but what if we could make it about you and the way you behave?What if you took a page out of his book?I've come up with a little role play.You can be you in this or you could be Trump.It's up to you.I think you'd probably be better off being Trump on this one.

So let's say you're Trump, and I'm you.This is just a chance for you to kind of play his game.He's so concerned about appearance.He's so playing that arena.All right, so you're Donald Trump.Call on me, Caitlyn Collins, CNN.

I'm really nervous about this one.Caitlyn, go ahead.

Hey, Tubbs.you look pretty today.The Big Beautiful Beal took a million children off of food assistance.Why are your hands so f***ed up?I didn't say it would work.

I think I'll keep it the way it is.

You'll probably keep it the way it is.That's probably why I don't work there.What are the frustrations within the White House press corps?Do you talk about the difficulty of permeating their fantasy bubble, the treatment that they have, the criticisms that they have of you guys?What is the frustration in that group of White House correspondents?

Well, I mean, it's obviously a really diverse group of correspondents.Everyone, you know, people work for different outlets.They have different questions that they want to ask.I mean, the biggest change in the outlets that cover the president from when he was in office the last time is how the White House has filled the press pool that goes into the Oval with a lot of people who ask friendly questions that aren't really probing or tough.And I think you can ask whatever question you want on whatever subject you want.There's a lot to ask about.

Cost of living, Iran war, whatever the subject is that day.What I don't like is when people use those moments to ask a question that is something that's not producing a response that is really asking something, probing of someone who is the highest office in the land, a taxpayer -funded individual, which is how I personally believe that time is best spent.And so I think one frustration is there's not as much follow -up inside those Oval Office moments as there used to be.among reporters who do ask tough questions and do ask fair but challenging questions.And so that is something that I think is a struggle.But there are a lot of really good reporters asking good questions who get attacked by the president.

I mean, even just today, he was asking where all the money that is being made from Venezuela is going.

He's not telling anybody.There's like billions of dollars.

$3 billion reportedly.And a reporter asked three times, where is that money going?And there was no answer today.And then he attacked another reporter for asking why he wants to cancel the Senate's recess, where they should be campaigning.And so there are moments where reporters, not just myself, ask questions that don't get good answers.

Right.Is there ever a thought that you guys...So they clearly have meetings before these, and they come up with all their strategies to try and deflect the good questions, the insightful questions, the ones...Is there ever any thought for you all to form, like, an Avengers, a group of people that combine your powers so that, uh, you work to...So that...Because what's so strange about him is, he very clearly needs you in a way that I don't think I've ever seen a president have that before.

There's something inside him that he lashes out at the press corps, but needs them to see him more than anybody I've ever seen in public life.That's why he gives his phone number out to everybody.He even said it at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.He said, you know, nobody else does that, but I do that because I like it.

And he criticized his staff, actually, during the dinner.Yes.Because he said he would ask them, you know, if any reporters called for comment, and they would say no or it's not worth your time.Right.And he was frustrated by that.I mean, his press team was in the room, and he was criticizing them for saying that they're basically blocking him, which is why he started picking up the numbers himself.

And he said something very interesting, because he said, it's basically because if I talk to them, I might be able to manipulate them to get a better story.

I mean, and he says this in the book.loud.

So is there a thought in that room that you guys work together?I don't know how that would work.or if that's even logical.

Yeah, I think reporters should ask what they want to ask.I don't think any reporter should be saying, this is what we're asking today, or you need to follow up on this.But if a colleague of mine asks a good question and doesn't get an answer, I mean, this actually happened with the Treasury Secretary when they were considering putting Trump's face on a $250 bill for the United States' birthday.Obviously, that's illegal.And so there are so many questions for Scott Besson at this briefing on it.And he wouldn't...

He kept declining to answer and pushing it off on Congress.But obviously, Congress was doing this because the White House wanted them to do it.And I think I was the fourth reporter maybe to ask.And I think sometimes reporters think, well, I'll just move on because he's not answering it.But actually, I think the more you ask, the more revealing it is.And finally, at the end of his answer to me, he said that he didn't see a problem with putting the president's face on a $250 bill.

And so there is value in follow -up questions.

Right.And coming through.In your mind, is what his fascination with you, to some extent, that you don't react and bend the knee, is some of what he's doing provocation and trolling and becoming more and more frustrated that you're just staying professional to what you want to do?

I'm not sure I can't get it to his head and you know I've had the same model the entire time I covered him and I've treated it the same way I've never gotten in a back -and -forth with him I've always brought it back to the question I think he does surround himself with people who praise him or laugh at his jokes and when he's confrontedwith someone who is asking a challenging question or a critical question of his policy or strategy in the Iran war, I think he doesn't like it.And he lashes out over it.I mean, there have been moments where I've gone into the Oval Office when I'm on behalf of the TV pool, and I haven't even asked a question yet.And he starts criticizing me.So it's not even always just about the questions.

Sometimes it's just my presence in the room.But again, I really think it's.I really do think it's important.

Dude, is this real life?Like, this is crazy.

But I really do think it's important in that moment.It really isn't about me.Because I do think my colleagues at CNN, my colleagues in the press corps do a good job of trying to ask tough questions, doing good reporting.You don't have to smile while you're doing that.And I think that's what's important.

I want to ask you, you know, I think Edward R. Murrow, who first said, turn that frown upside down.

Uh...

J .D.Vance said something really interesting recently.We was talking about Watergate, and he said about Watergate probably would be...Now, this is sort of the -the seminal, uh, public corruption, political corruption case of our lifetimes that was raised on the Watergate hearings.He said it would probably be a 12 -hour story now.

At first, I thought he was sort of saying, like, because it wasn't that big a deal.But I think the point he was making is, they've created such great defenses around public and political corruption that there's no longer... that great reporting no longer leads to accountability through the other institutions that are there to pick that up.Watergate was interesting becausetwo reporters got this great story.And reporters are still doing great reporting like that today.They found it.

It shocked the conscience of a nation.The political system and the legal system went into action and created accountability, both jail time for the perpetrators and impeachment for Nixon, which is why he resigned, so that he wouldn't get impeached.

Yeah, and I don't think they subpoenaed Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein's mother or spouses, like they just did with the New York Times reporters.It was not up to my colleagues for the New York Times, who did really good reporting on Air Force One recently, who should not have been subpoenaed for that good reporting.

They went to their house.

They should have been at their house.And they subpoenaed their one reporter's mother and two spouses of them before they eventually withdrew them because a judge intervened.On the Nixon comment from Vice President Vance, he also said the deep state took down Richard Nixon, which I think Richard Nixon took down Richard Nixon.But to your point, it wasn't just, you know, it wasn't just the reporting that led to Nixon's resignation.It was Republicans in the Senate who made clear that he had crossed a line with them as that investigation into his actions was proceeding.

And a legal system that held people accountable for break -ins and obstruction and cover -ups.And even Spiro Agnew, people forget Spiro Agnew, who was the vice president at the time, resigned months before Watergate took down Nixon on a bribery scandal.a bribery scandal at the Supreme Court at this point.I guess the point is, does the press feel an impotence?It makes me cynical to watch the stories that you guys are uncovering about a Qatari jet that's, you know, millions and millions of dollars by a foreign government that's not safe enough for the president to fly on it.And also, the guy who is the envoy to that region is getting money from that area while also being

to negotiate peace deals from within those.The levels of corruption within his family and that administration are exponentially beyond anything that I think we have ever experienced in our lifetime.And I keep waiting for the other institutions to wake up.And they feel like they're gone.Like, there is no political...There would never be an impeachment on this, and the legal system seems utterly...

Not only are they not interested in prosecuting, they're more interested in redefining what corruption means, to allow more of it.How does that affect the reporting aspect of it?Are...Is there a sense of, is anyone gonna follow up on this?Epstein stuff is a great example.

Well, I think for reporters, I mean, from our perspective, we can just do our jobs, which is...fair reporting, tough reporting, and good questions and fair questions.I think in terms of -of the Epstein example, that is something that there was a wealth of really good reporting on, including from those reporters from The Wall Street Journal who were on stage on Friday night.Right.Um, but also, I mean, there was a long -shot bid in Congress to release the files when the Justice Department did not do so, and it became not a long -shot bid and it actually happened.

And so there have been moments, um, where that does happen.

But now they've withheld three million of those documents.The woman that was in prison got an upgrade.Nobody else has gone to jail.Todd Blanch won't meet with any of the victims except in a pro forma way to get Tom Tillis' vote.It's...One of the frustrations about doing this show, people always ask me, you know, what have been some of the frustrations?

And I always say that it's cathartic but impotent.And I can accept that from what I do, because it's... it's satire still.Yeah.I feel like what you guys do deserves better than that.And I and I wonder if that.ever crosses your, or you've just got to focus.

I think your job as a reporter is to report and to inform the American public, to ask tough questions.Why are you so mature?That's our job.And I think the important thing is that we keep doing it, regardless of criticisms or personal insults.

When you go back, does Carolyn Leavitt ever pull you over and go, like, yeah, he says that shit to me all the time, too.Don't worry about it.Like, does he give you, like, attaboy, like, anything?Like, little puns, like, hey, man, hang in there?

No.Nothing?I'm not really in favor with the, you know, public side of the White House that speaks for a living.

Bring the tea.What's happening?

If it's on camera, you see it all.

And all for the crime of what?Asking direct ques...Like, seriously, that's what's so insane about us.

Yeah.

So, thank you for doing that.

And thank you for...

And also, what's so nice about it is you're keeping your side of the street clean, meaning, like, you are just putting in the work.Like, that's the nice thing.I've said this to you.You know I have all my problems with the journalists.

Oh, I know.

You keep your...You keep it together.You do a great job.I appreciate it.

Thank you.

All right.Tana Collins.

It's short.It's Tana Collins.9 p .m.

on CNN.