Trump, Kaitlan Collins clash during CNN town hall
Former President Donald Trump knocked CNN's Kaitlan Collins as a ‘nasty person’ during a heated exchange at Wednesday's town hall.
Former President Donald Trump took a personal swipe at CNN host Kaitlan Collins during Wednesday's town hall, referring to her as a "nasty person."
About an hour into the New Hampshire event, Collins grilled Trump over his handling of classified documents, which he defended by saying he had "the right" to declassify any records.
When Collins challenged him on why he held onto the documents despite a subpoena and requests from the National Archives, Trump lashed out.
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Former President Donald Trump lashed out at CNN's Kaitlan Collins, calling her a "nasty person" during a heated exchange about his handling of classified documents. (Screenshot/CNN)
"Are you ready? Can I talk?" Trump asked.
"What's the answer?" Collins shot back. "I would like you to answer the question."
"It's very simple to answer," Trump responded.
"That's why I asked it," Collins told him.
"It's very simple — you're a nasty person, I'll tell ya," Trump said, which sparked cheers from his supporters in the audience.
Trump continued, "It's very simple. I was negotiating and we were talking to NARA — that's Washington, to bring whatever they want. They can have whatever they want. When we left Washington, we had the boxes lined up on the sidewalk outside for everybody. People were taking pictures, everybody knew we were taking those boxes and the GSA — government service, the GSA was the one taking them. They brought them down to Mar-a-Lago. We were negotiating with NARA. All of a sudden, they raid our house."
Former President Donald Trump defended his handling of classified documents, telling CNN's Kaitlan Collins he had "the right" to declassify the presidential records he took as he left office in January 2021. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
A CNN spokesperson defended Collins, telling Fox News Digital she "exemplified what it means to be a world-class journalist."
Both Trump and President Biden are under investigation by two separate special counsels over their handling of classified documents.
Collins opened the town hall with a series of questions grilling the former president about his claims that the 2020 presidential election was "rigged" and his involvement on Jan. 6, as well as the recent verdict that held him liable for defamation and battery against accuser E. Jean Carroll, whom he continued to rail against.
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CNN's Kaitlan Collins grilled former President Donald Trump on several topics including his claims that the 2020 presidential election was "rigged" and his involvement on Jan. 6. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for CBS News)
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Trump's town hall marked his first appearance on CNN since the 2016 presidential election. Liberal critics leading up to the event blasted CNN for giving the former president a platform despite the fact that he is the current front-runner in the 2024 Republican primary race.
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