Podcaster Straight-Up Asks Kaitlan Collins ‘How Do You Deal With’ Trump Spox Karoline Leavitt
HEATHER MCMAHAN: I mean, at some point it’s like the joke really gets to us. And I think a lot of people feel that way, too. As for the press, I really admire you for keeping your cool. I really thank God that I didn’t start out in journalism. And again I don’t know.
CNN Anchor KAITLAN COLLINS: I don’t know, really, it would be so fun to have you in the movie.
HEATHER MCMAHAN: It’s like hot shots where I’m at, sorry, let’s actually figure this shit out. I’d love for you to appear as a guest in the briefing room. Let me know, let me know. I’ll wear a full cheetah print suit and the questions will explode.
How do you deal with Karoline? I mean, obviously because you have to, it’s a very fine balance because you’re trying to do your job, you have to deal with this management. Like, what is he really like?
CNN HOST KAITLAN COLLINS: I think I’ve probably met with four Trump press secretaries now, two during the Biden line.
And there’s always an inherently tense relationship between the press and the press secretary, because you’re covering things that they’re trying to spend money on for their bosses.
Maybe you’re asking questions they don’t want to fully answer. And this is something that has always existed. I don’t think you have to have a great relationship with whoever the press secretary is because that goes against the nature of your job.
Reporters, you should be a little hostile because you are disturbing people with your questions. Don’t you just ask things like why are you so amazing? Or list your favorite accomplishments, especially when it comes to legislators.
And I think the level changes when it’s really, you know, just taxpayer-funded, I guess.
I think Karoline Leavitt’s situation is pretty similar to Kayleigh McEnany, Sean Spicer, and other press secretaries for Trump who came before her.
That’s a tough job in itself because Trump thinks he’s his best spokesman. Most of the time he is the person you really want to ask the question to because he will answer the question the way he believes, you know how he really feels about a subject.
And so, I never went into the briefing room thinking, well, they’re going to like my questions.
I’m trying to be fair. I want to be, I never try to be super hostile or ask for anything. This is actually a question I ask when I walk in. This is a well-intentioned question.
And obviously this sometimes leads to conflicts when they don’t like my question. Sometimes I think my question is actually sometimes not as confrontational as the answers.
