Donald Trump has launched into a bizarre attack on his CNN nemesis Kaitlan Collins.
The president, 80, sparked outrage when he banned MS NOW, CNN, and Politico from the White House in September in a brazen attack on the free press.
He was asked about it during an interview with TIME Magazine, published Thursday, where he sought to justify the move—and hurled insults at Collins, 34.
“I don’t think anybody should be forced to bear fake news, constantly bad stories, because I’ve done great things,” he said.
“I mean, I’ve done Venezuela. I’ve done—I can name, I can name 100 great things I’ve done. I never get good press. I never get fair press. Doesn’t have to be good. All it has to be is fair. So at a certain point, you say, “What’s the purpose of like this crazy Kaitlan Collins?”
“She’s a very average person. She’s the most unhappy young person I’ve ever seen. If I did something spectacular by any standard, and they would write about it, they will only write badly.
“Sometimes I’m amazed at how they can—you know, yesterday I got tremendous applause from massive crowds that came to Duncan. And I said to the people, ‘Don’t feel bad tomorrow when you read that I got booed out of the place.’ I didn’t get booed out of the place.”
It wasn’t the president’s only attack on the press. When challenged over the free press’ role in holding power to account, Trump came up with another baffling response.
“It is, but they got to treat you fairly,” he said. “You know, when they write stories that are knowingly false, and everyone knows NBC’s, NBC’s bad too, but CNN is terrible. MS NOW changed their name because they have no friends.”
Trump and Collins have clashed repeatedly since his return to the White House last year.
In September, in the days after the White House ban began, Collins asked Trump at the United Nations when he thought the war with Iran would come to an end.
“It’s an honor to be here. I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me,” Trump said. He then turned his attention to Collins. “You should not be here covering me.
“You said you weren’t going to cover me. You shouldn’t be covering me.”
Trump’s ban sparked outrage across the media and beyond, and drew condemnation from the three outlets involved.
It led them to sue Trump and, in a humiliating blow to the president, a Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly later blocked the ban.
“We will not be deflected from our duty to hold the government and other public bodies to account, and we will continue to report on the actions and processes of this administration without fear or favor,” CNN said in a statement after the ban.
Trump also launched a personal attack on Collins in the Oval Office in February.
“She’s a young woman—I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile,” he said from the Resolute Desk. “I’ve known you for 10 years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face.”
She had been asking the president a question related to Jeffrey Epstein, the New York Times reported.
“You know why you’re not smiling? Because you know you’re not telling the truth,” Trump said.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
