Kaitlan Collins Blocked in Saudi Arabia - Then Karoline Leavitt Stepped In
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| CNN Anchor Kaitlan Collins Praises White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in Rare Comment |
CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins says she was momentarily prevented from entering a major press event during the Trump administration’s Saudi Arabia trip — and her rescue came from an unexpected source: Karoline Leavitt. This rare show of support stood in stark contrast to a history of clashes between the two in Washington press settings.
Read more: Karoline Leavitt’s 32-Year Age Gap Marriage: The Story Behind D.C.’s Most Talked-About Relationship
A History of Tension in the Press Room
Collins and Leavitt have a well-documented pattern of tense exchanges during White House briefings. In multiple press situations, Leavitt has publicly cut off or pushed back on Collins’ questions — sometimes sharply.
• In one widely shared moment, Leavitt ended a follow-up question from Collins mid-briefing, refusing to take it and moving on to another reporter.
• Multiple exchanges on sensitive topics such as foreign policy and economic messaging have grown heated, with Leavitt at times accusing Collins of narrative-pushing.
These moments helped cement a reputation of friction rather than cordiality between the White House press secretary and the CNN correspondent.
Saudi Arabia: An Unusual Show of Support
That backdrop is what makes the Saudi Arabia incident stand out.
According to Collins, after a pointed question to Donald Trump in Riyadh, Saudi security guards tried to block her from entering a subsequent event alongside the U.S. press pool.
“They said, ‘You’re not coming in,’” Collins said, describing the standoff with the Saudi guards.
At that point, Leavitt intervened, instructing the officials that Collins should be allowed to join the rest of the American press corps — a gesture Collins described as rare given their prior on-camera tensions.
“To her credit, she said, ‘No, Kaitlan’s coming in,’ and we went in,” Collins recounted.
Why Their Dynamic Has Been Strained
The clashes between Collins and Leavitt largely reflect broader tensions between CNN — and Collins’ aggressive questioning — and the Trump White House’s messaging strategy.
Collins is known for pressing hard on topics such as foreign policy, inflation, and administration narratives; Leavitt, a Trump appointee and communications strategist, often pushes back sharply when she perceives spin or narrative framing.
Their interactions have ranged from abrupt interruptions in press briefings to visibly tense back-and-forths over data and policy answers.
The Bigger Picture Between Them
Before Leavitt took the White House podium in 2025, Collins had already established herself as a high-profile White House correspondent — first covering the Trump campaign and then serving as CNN’s chief White House correspondent.
Leavitt, meanwhile, made history as one of the youngest press secretaries in White House history, transitioning from Republican campaign roles into the Trump administration’s communications apparatus.
Their paths — Collins rooted in journalism and Leavitt grounded in political communication — were bound to produce professional clashes. The Saudi Arabia episode was unusual precisely because Leavitt sided with Collins in defense of press access, not policy or politics.
This rare moment — on foreign soil, outside the usual White House backdrop — highlighted that even adversarial relationships can produce unexpected collaboration when basic journalistic access is at stake.
