President Donald Trump abruptly cut off CNN’s Kaitlan Collins during a press briefing at the White House on Tuesday, refusing to answer her questions about the controversial “Signal” messaging incident involving top administration officials.

During a meeting with ambassadors, Collins attempted to question Trump about national security concerns raised by the incident, but he interrupted her mid-sentence.

“Excuse me, I didn’t pick you,” Trump shot back before directing another reporter to proceed.

The controversy erupted after The Atlantic reported that its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was mistakenly added to a classified group chat where high-ranking Trump officials discussed a potential military strike on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The inadvertent inclusion of Goldberg raised serious concerns over the administration’s handling of sensitive information.

Initially distancing himself from the incident, Trump later defended National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who had mistakenly included Goldberg, calling it a mere “glitch” and expressing full confidence in Waltz despite growing criticism.

Heated Exchanges Between Trump and Collins Continue

The confrontation marked yet another clash between Trump and Collins, who has frequently pressed the president with tough questions.

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In a separate Oval Office exchange, Collins grilled Trump on his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, questioning whether he trusted the Russian leader. Trump initially responded, “I believe he wants peace,” before launching into an attack on CNN’s credibility.

“I know [Biden is] a friend of yours. He’s a friend of CNN. That’s why nobody watches CNN anymore. Because they have no credibility,” Trump remarked, prompting laughter from other reporters in the room.

Collins also challenged Trump over his controversial claim that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies contributed to a collision between a passenger jet and a military aircraft in Washington, D.C. earlier this year.

“Does it comfort [the victims’] family to hear you blaming DEI policies?” she asked.

White House Press Secretary Defends Trump’s Claims on Biden Pardons

Collins has also clashed with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt over Trump’s accusations that pardons issued by former President Joe Biden may have been illegal because they were allegedly signed by an autopen rather than Biden himself.

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When pressed for evidence, Leavitt deflected, telling Collins, “You’re a reporter, you should find out.”

Trump has claimed the use of an autopen could constitute a crime, further fueling tensions between his administration and the press.