Five Men Arrested Over Alleged Terror Plot at U.S. Bomber Base

The decision immediately became a broader controversy over White House press access. Other news organizations, including Fox News, publicly supported Collins’ right to attend the event despite competing with CNN.

The clashes continued during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Trump was holding frequent and sometimes combative briefings with White House reporters.

In April 2020, Collins challenged Trump after he declared that a president’s authority over reopening states was “total.” Collins pressed him to explain the legal basis for that assertion and asked whether any governors had agreed that he possessed such authority. Trump eventually responded to her continued questioning with, “Enough.”

Another memorable confrontation came the following month during a May 11, 2020, Rose Garden news conference.

Trump initially called on Collins, but she held back momentarily so CBS reporter Weijia Jiang could finish a follow-up question. When Collins then attempted to ask her own questions, Trump moved to another reporter.

Collins reminded him that he had called on her and repeatedly attempted to ask her questions. Trump soon ended the news conference and walked away from the podium without answering them.