White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt angrily confronted CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins during a tense briefing on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, accusing Collins and her network of intentionally trying to make President Donald Trump “look bad” amid rising casualties from Operation Epic Fury in Iran.
The heated exchange in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room followed comments earlier that day from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about media reporting on six U.S. service members killed by an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait over the weekend. The incident represented another escalation between the 28-year-old press secretary—the youngest to hold the job—and a leading White House correspondent.
Collins asked whether the administration thought the deaths of American soldiers should not be prominently covered in the press, referencing Hegseth’s remark that media attention to “tragic things” was meant to undermine the president. The question provoked a strong reaction.
Leavitt shot back, her tone rising: “That’s not what the secretary said, Kaitlan, and that’s not what the secretary meant. And you know it. You know you’re being disingenuous. We’ve never had a secretary of defense who cares more.”
When Collins read Hegseth’s words verbatim, Leavitt lost her composure. She pointed at the CNN anchor and asserted that the press does aim to make the president look bad—”especially you, and especially CNN.”
As other reporters tried to speak, Leavitt raised her voice: “Listen to me, especially you and especially CNN.”
Leavitt then broadened her criticism of the cable network, claiming CNN had “hardly ever probably reported” on Hegseth’s travels to meet service members. She accused the outlet of twisting “every single thing this administration says” to harm the president.
Leavitt added that if Collins was suggesting CNN’s coverage wasn’t heavily negative toward Trump, “the American people would tend to agree, and your ratings would tend to agree” with the administration’s view.
The confrontation is tied to Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israel joint military action against Iran. The Pentagon named the first six casualties at that time as: Captain Cody A. Khork, 35; Sergeant First Class Nicole M. Amor, 39; Sergeant Declan J. Coady, 20; Sergeant First Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42; Major Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California. They were members of the 103rd Sustainment Command, an Army Reserve unit from Iowa, killed when a drone struck a command center at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. Since then seven other servicemen have died.
The strikes on Iran killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and 49 members of Iran’s leadership, while Iran’s overall death toll from the bombing campaign was estimated to exceed 1,300. Energy prices have risen sharply, and Trump’s MAGA coalition has splintered over the intervention, with critics such as former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tucker Carlson, and Megyn Kelly voicing opposition.
Collins responded to the confrontation later that night on her program, “The Source.” With photos of the fallen service members on screen, she said: “Needless to say, our coverage of Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country is not about the president, and it’s not about CNN either.”
Collins also spoke with former Vice President Mike Pence, who sought to avoid taking sides while defending coverage of the fallen troops. Pressed on whether Hegseth’s comments were appropriate, Pence declined to step into a dispute between the media and the administration: “I don’t want to get in between you and the administration arguing about the media.” He added that honoring fallen heroes is “altogether fitting and altogether proper.”
The episode continues a pattern of tension between Collins and the Trump administration. In February, President Trump attacked Collins after she inquired about the Jeffrey Epstein files, calling her “the worst reporter” and suggesting she should smile more. In December, Trump labeled Collins “stupid and nasty” on Truth Social and misspelled her name. Leavitt and Collins also clashed last December over questions about the economy and inflation.
President Trump attended the dignified transfer ceremony on March 7 at Dover Air Force Base for the fallen troops. Also present were First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. As U.S. casualties rise, the administration faces intensifying pressure to justify the intervention even while disputing media coverage of those losses.