CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins recently responded to former President Donald Trump’s comment that he had “never seen her smile.” During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Collins, 33, recounted an incident in the Oval Office where Trump commented on her demeanor after she questioned him about Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. Addressing a gathering of Republican lawmakers and reporters, Trump remarked, “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 you smile.” Collins emphasized that maintaining a serious demeanor when discussing such grave topics is not controversial.

Collins expressed that she expected the “attack” during the exchange, as Trump often attempts to “deflect” from challenging inquiries. Nevertheless, she countered his remark by asserting, “I don’t think it’s a controversial opinion that you shouldn’t smile when you’re asking questions about a [sexual] trafficker and sexual assault victims,” which drew applause from the audience. She clarified that she does smile, but only “when it’s appropriate.” Collins noted that this was not the first instance of Trump resorting to personal attacks to sidestep discussions about serious issues.

Collins further elaborated on Trump’s tactics, describing him as politically astute and attentive to his supporters’ preferences. She reflected, “In that moment, I was thinking if he had said that in response to a different question, I think it would have had a different reaction.” Collins believed that many women could relate to her experience and stressed that her question regarding sexual assault survivors was not accusatory towards the president, which contributed to the widespread attention it received.

This month’s White House showdown made headlines as Collins and Trump clashed over the Epstein files, with the president describing her as ‘the worst reporter’ during a bill signing in the Oval Office earlier this month. ‘You are the worst reporter. No wonder CNN… CNN has no ratings because of people like you,’ he snapped. Collins became a household name during Trump’s first term after covering the White House for the Tucker Carlson-founded Daily Caller before getting a job at CNN. She shot back, ‘Well, I’m asking you about survivors of Epstein.’

‘You know why you’re not smiling?’ Trump replied. ‘Because you know you’re not telling the truth and you’re a very dishonest organization and they should be ashamed of you.’ Collins got the last word, stating, ‘These are survivors of a sexual abuser,’ the journalist said. CNN’s ratings have tanked from roughly 1.3 million in 2016 to 553,000 now, which is fueling rumors of a possible network sale – something CNN’s up-for-grabs parent company has vehemently denied.