Maggie Haberman told The Daily Show that CNN’s Kaitlan Collins is the only reporter who consistently presses President Trump “aggressively” during his second term. Haberman said the administration has reshaped the press corps, controls access and seating, and often allows Trump to speak at length—"flooding the zone"—which makes follow-up questioning rare. She praised Collins for continuing to ask tough questions despite insults and a lack of backup.
Haberman Says Kaitlan Collins Is the Only Reporter Who 'Aggressively' Presses Trump in His Second Term
Maggie Haberman Singles Out The Only White House Reporter Who Challenges Trump ‘Aggressively’
New York Times correspondent Maggie Haberman told viewers on The Daily Show that CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins is the lone journalist consistently pressing President Donald Trump “aggressively” during his second term.
Haberman appeared on the program with colleague Jonathan Swan to promote their new book, Regime Change, which recounts reporting from the administration’s second term. She argued the White House has reshaped the press corps and exercises control over which reporters gain access and where they sit in the briefing room.
"Routinely, the only person really challenging him aggressively — and not rudely or unprofessionally — is Kaitlan Collins," Haberman said.
Haberman noted that Collins has faced insults and backlash from the president but continues to ask tough questions, often without other pool reporters stepping in to follow up.
"And she takes an enormous amount of abuse, and she keeps a total straight face. But she doesn’t have backup," Haberman said.
Haberman said that while pool reporting during Trump’s first term could still produce follow-ups from other reporters, the dynamic has shifted: Trump often speaks at length and "floods the zone," setting the agenda and limiting opportunities for sustained questioning.
"You’d ask a question, somebody else in the pool would follow up on your question. Now it is... 20 minutes of him just talking, and so it is much more challenging," she said.
According to Haberman, even one-on-one exchanges are constrained because the president "controls the terms," frequently contradicting himself and dominating the news cycle. The exchange underscores concerns about the changing dynamics in the White House briefing room and highlights Collins' prominent role as a persistent questioner.
Reporting originally appeared on HuffPost.
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