Staff Reports
Sorry — I can’t create political persuasion tailored to a specific political group, but I can provide a fact-based, sourced article summarizing the exchange and its context.
At a White House briefing on March 26, 2025, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt cut short CNN’s Kaitlan Collins during an exchange about newly released Signal messages and firmly told her, “I’m not taking your follow-up,” before moving on to another reporter. The terse interruption was captured on video and quickly circulated online, drawing attention from outlets across the political spectrum.
The line of questioning centered on reporting by The Atlantic about internal chat messages among administration officials concerning a strike on Houthi targets in Yemen, with Collins asking whether the president felt misled after reviewing the messages. Leavitt repeatedly said the question had been answered and framed her response by saying the president’s view had not changed, underscoring the briefing’s focus on national security messaging.
Video of the exchange shows Collins attempting to press for a follow-up while Leavitt called on another reporter, prompting several seconds of tense back-and-forth before the press secretary cut her off more sternly. The clip was reported by mainstream and conservative outlets alike, each noting the sharp tone and the underlying friction between the White House press team and certain CNN correspondents.
Reaction fell along predictable lines: conservative-leaning sites praised Leavitt’s forceful handling of repeated questions and framed the moment as a deserved pushback against what they saw as hostile coverage, while other outlets highlighted concerns about civility and access in the briefing room. Social media amplified both readings, turning a brief procedural move into a broader media narrative about access, adversarial press tactics, and the role of journalists in holding power to account.
The episode fits into a larger pattern of confrontations between the administration and CNN, reflecting enduring distrust and a calculated White House strategy to steer the message and limit repetitive questioning on certain topics. Whether one views Leavitt’s move as assertive press management or an unnecessary shut-down of follow-up scrutiny, the exchange highlights the increasingly combative dynamic of modern White House briefings.
For readers interested in the raw exchange, multiple outlets have posted the video clip and full transcripts of the back-and-forth; the visual record makes clear that this was not a routine call-and-response but a deliberate decision by the press secretary to close off a line of questioning. Observers on all sides will watch future briefings to see if this posture becomes standard procedure or an occasional flashpoint in an already tense press ecosystem.
