Donald Trump has escalated his one-sided fight with CNN host Kaitlan Collins in a late-night Truth Social tirade that included a surreal video.
The 80-year-old president lashed out at Collins, 34, on Tuesday, hours after she defended herself on Anderson Cooper 360° against his attacks on her and her network at the U.N.’s New York headquarters.
The president doubled down on Collins and CNN with two Truth Social posts that he shared at midnight, including the bizarre video.
Titled “Day in the life of a CNN Reporter,” the video sees comedian and content creator Patrick W. Cutler put on a red dress, blond wig, and red lipstick.
“My life as someone who tells lies all day long,” the video starts.
“First, I get up, then I put on my fake news outfits. I just can’t wait to make up a bunch of false rumors about Trump today. All right, let’s go bash Trump 24/7.” There is no indication of who Cutler is attempting to imitate.
Cutler posted the video to his social media accounts on Tuesday. He had previously posted the exact same video, but focused on the NFL and quarterback Dak Prescott, titled, ‘Dallas Cowboys fans getting ready for opening night,’ earlier this month.
That video uses different audio, with the comedian’s character saying the Cowboys are going to win the Super Bowl, and adding ‘Look at me I’m Dak Prescott!" Cutler has 1.5 million followers on TikTok, with most of his content sports-related.
Trump previously attempted to joke that Collins looked like transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney during July’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Mulvaney prompted a Bud Light backlash in 2023 when she promoted the beer on her social media channels, leading to a boycott by conservatives including MAGA musician Kid Rock.
“I thought Kaitlan had really made it big with a major new sponsorship,” Trump said at the dinner in front of Collins’ peers. “But then I informed her that it wasn’t her on the Bud Light can, it was Dylan Mulvaney.”
Trump’s second Truth Social post overnight took aim at Collins again.
He wrote, “All of the SLEAZEBAGS, like Third Rate `Reporter,’ Kaitlan Collins, of Fake News CNN, a truly unhappy person, said they weren’t going to be covering me. Then why were they ranting and raving like Lunatics, in the Press Area, at the United Nations? Why was she there? She’s got a `TRUMP’ addiction, and so does CNN and MSDNC. They’re all sick, treasonous, and demented!”
Collins said that she had been given media accreditation by the United Nations, despite Trump’s ban on the network.
In her appearance on 360° Collins also pointed out an inaccuracy in what Trump told her at the U.N. and later repeated in his Truth Social post.
“The president himself there was saying something that CNN has never asserted about not covering him. We’ve never said that,” Collins said.
“The president is the one who’s trying to dictate how we cover him,” she added. “And of course, it is still our job to do so.”
Trump’s insult that Collins is “a truly unhappy person” may link to previously calling her out for not smiling enough. In February, when she was in White House asking him about the Epstein files, Trump told Collins she was “the worst reporter.”
He then added, “She’s a young woman. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile. I’ve known you for 10 years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face.”
Collins was defended by Democrat Cory Booker, who appeared on her CNN show The Source on Tuesday.
“First of all, I just want to say, the way the president disrespected you should outrage all Americans,” Booker told Collins.
Referencing rival networks withdrawing from the White House TV pool that covers Trump out of solidarity with the outlets he banned, Booker added, “Consider this a unifying thing for our country to see so many people coming together in defense of CNN and, frankly, the kind of treatment that you endured today.”
The Daily Beast has contacted CNN, the White House and Cutler for comment.
