CNN's Kaitlan Collins Sparks Backlash After Saying Trump Was More 'Accessible' to Media Than Obama — Critics Say She 'Sounds Like a Fangirl'
Kaitlan Collins sparks online criticism after saying Trump 'embraced the media' and changed how reporters interact with presidents.
March 15 2026, Published 12:25 p.m. ET
CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins faced online backlash after praising Donald Trump as an unusually "accessible" president during a resurfaced podcast interview, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The comments quickly made the rounds on social media, where critics accused the journalist of putting a flattering spin on the former president's often contentious relationship with the press.
Kaitlan Collins Praises Donald Trump
The journalist compared Trump's approach to the press with former President Barack Obama's more controlled interactions.
Collins made the remarks while appearing on Jason Tartick's podcast Trading Secrets, where she reflected on her experience covering the White House and how Trump's media approach differs from past presidents.
During the interview, Collins suggested that Trump's willingness to engage with reporters has fundamentally changed the dynamic between the presidency and the press.
"Sometimes presidents are press-averse; Trump embraced the media," Collins said. "He did it for decades as like this New York mogul, and so he just had a different approach to the press, and always has."
According to Collins, Trump's style stands in contrast to earlier administrations, where reporters often had fewer opportunities to shout questions or spark spontaneous exchanges.
"When you speak to reporters who covered President Obama, he almost never responded to shouted questions," Collins explained. "It wasn't his thing. He would have his moments with world leaders, and then you would leave the Oval. Trump kind of upended that when he came into the White House."
Collins recalled calling Trump directly while reporting on the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago.
'Accessible President'
Critics on social media accused the CNN anchor of sounding overly flattering toward the president.
Collins added that Trump frequently turns routine presidential ceremonies into extended Q&A sessions with the press.
"Trump will swear someone in, and then he'll turn to you and say, 'Any questions?' And he'll take questions for 45 minutes," she said.
The CNN anchor said reporters have had to adapt their preparation because nearly any appearance could turn into an impromptu press conference.
"Trump is such an accessible president that, like, if he's just swearing in the ambassador to Greece, like, that typically wouldn't be a newsworthy event if President Biden or any typical president was doing it," Collins said. "But Trump's moments — anytime the camera is around, [and] reporters are around, it could turn into a press conference."
Calling Donald Trump Directly
One person called Collins a 'fangirl.'
Collins also recalled a moment when she contacted Trump directly while reporting on the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago.
"I would just call him directly," Collins said. "It was kind of one of those moments where I was like, 'We will be best served if I just call him directly and ask if this is true.'"
She added that the former president quickly confirmed the news and sent her a statement about the raid.
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Online Backlash Erupts
Another said Trump 'craved attention.'
But Collins' comments quickly sparked criticism online, with several users arguing that accessibility does not necessarily translate to meaningful information.
"Being accessible is meaningless if the information derived is nothing but utter bullshit or sexist insults. That is what a malignant narcissist provides," one user wrote on X.
Another critic took aim at Collins' tone, writing: "She sounds like a fangirl. He's not a celebrity. All he does is lie and talk nonsense and you should report that daily."
Others argued that Trump's frequent press interactions often revolve around repeating the same talking points.
"The thing is, is he doesn’t say anything new ever. He repeats the same thing every day. The same lines the same ideas the same responses. Nothing new," one user wrote.
Another questioned the value of the access Collins described: "Does accessibility matter if all you get is lies?"
A fifth commenter contrasted Trump's media-heavy approach with his predecessor, writing: "Obama was not a TV star, Trump craves media attention."
