OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
12:09 PM – Friday, February 13, 2026
In a surprising moment of cross-aisle solidarity, CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins recently shared how White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt came to her defense during a presidential trip to Saudi Arabia — despite their frequent clashes.
Collins shared the story during an appearance on Heather McMahan’s “Absolutely Not” podcast, and similarly on Jason Tartick’s “Trading Secrets” podcast. Despite their frequent and often heated clashes in the White House briefing room, Collins credited Leavitt for defending her during a high-stakes international incident.
The lefty anchor appeared on the podcast on Thursday this week, where the host asked her to share more about her working relationship with the sharp and quick-witted White House press secretary.
“How do you deal with Karoline?” McMahan asked, adding, “What is she really like?”
The journalist acknowledged that there is “always a naturally tense relationship between the press and the press secretary,” explaining that journalists typically highlight topics that press secretaries work to “spin in the best light for their boss,” which requires posing questions they might not want to answer.
“I don’t think you should have an amazing relationship with whoever the press secretary is because it’s just at odds with the nature of your job, right?” Collins stated. “Reporters, you have to be a little antagonistic.”
Collins also argued that any press secretary for President Donald Trump faces a challenging role, as “Trump thinks he’s his own best spokesperson,” in her own words. This makes him the ideal person to direct questions to, unlike former President Joe Biden, she suggested.
Despite admitting to having occasional “clashes” with Leavitt, Collins also highlighted a moment of mutual respect when she joined a White House press pool in the Middle East.
In her account, Collins described a moment during President Trump’s May 2025 visit to Saudi Arabia, during which she was traveling as a member of the White House press pool. While covering a public event, Trump appeared alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and several other leaders.
Collins had called out a question to the president in that setting, but Trump chose not to respond.
After the leaders left the room, the Saudi Royal Guard “kind of freaked out” at her for “daring to ask a question,” as they are “not used to that there because they don’t have a free press.” They then informed her that she would not be allowed into the next event, which was starting shortly, about two minutes later. Collins also described them whispering and pointing at her negatively.
“To her credit,” as Collins put it, Leavitt quickly stepped in, firmly insisting that the CNN anchor be allowed to enter alongside the rest of the U.S. press pool. Thanks to Leavitt’s intervention, the matter was resolved smoothly and without further escalation.
“They famously do not like the media there, to put it lightly, and I asked a shouted question to President Trump, who had seen me when the U.S. press came in,” Collins stated. “He didn’t answer, which is how it works — you shout questions, they either answer or they don’t, it’s their prerogative.”
“The Saudi royal guard kind of freaked out because I dared to ask a question and they’re not used to that there because they don’t have a free press,” she continued. “And so they came up and they said, ‘Okay, well you can’t come into the next event.’”
“To her credit she said, ‘No, Kaitlan’s coming in with the rest of the U.S. press.’”
Collins stressed how meaningful that moment was to her, particularly as part of the U.S. delegation abroad in a country unaccustomed to freedom of the press — a core First Amendment protection in America.
She also referenced other occasions where journalists faced restrictions on gathering essential information, including during President Trump’s visit to North Korea.
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