Politics · United States · 2 hrs ago
Trump Insults CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Over Russian Sanctions Question
President Donald Trump insulted CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins during a White House exchange about Russian sanctions.
Collins asked whether the sanctions he waived were linked to the release of Stephen Hubbard, an American detained in Russia.
Trump said easing sanctions was part of negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
He also said the negotiations were intended to secure the return of a long-term hostage, while denying he had given anything to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The exchange matters because Trump linked the sanctions decision to Hubbard’s release while resisting Collins’s questions about whether one was given in exchange for the other.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Collins for asking him questions, including in public remarks and on social media.
President Donald Trump called CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins a “low-IQ person” and a “dummy” after she questioned him about waiving Russian sanctions.
Collins asked whether the waived sanctions were tied to the release of American Stephen Hubbard, who had been detained in Russia.
Trump said easing sanctions was part of negotiations to end Russia’s war against Ukraine and secure Hubbard’s release.
Trump said the United States was getting Hubbard back “because of me” while denying he had given anything to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The exchange took place on October 21, 2026, according to a post by Collins cited in the article.
- Who
- President Donald Trump and CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins.
- What
- Trump insulted Collins after she questioned him about waiving Russian sanctions and whether it was tied to Stephen Hubbard’s release.
- When
- October 21, 2026, according to Collins’s post cited in the article.
- Where
- At a White House press-line exchange.
- Why
- Collins was asking whether Trump lifted sanctions in exchange for Hubbard’s release; Trump said easing sanctions was part of negotiations.
Trump
Kaitlan Collins
Sanctions and Hubbard's release
Trump
Trump said easing sanctions was part of negotiations to end Russia’s war against Ukraine and secure Hubbard’s release.
Kaitlan Collins
Collins asked whether the waived sanctions were tied to Hubbard’s release and pressed Trump on whether he had given something in exchange.
Trump publicly criticized Collins on social media, according to the article.
Collins questioned Trump about waived Russian sanctions and whether they were tied to Hubbard’s release.
Trump called Collins a “low-IQ person” and a “dummy” during the exchange.
- President
- Donald Trump
- Journalist
- Kaitlan Collins, CNN
- Detained American
- Stephen Hubbard
- Question
- Whether waived Russian sanctions were tied to Hubbard’s release
- Exchange date
- October 21, 2026
1 source
What people are saying
You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re a low-IQ person. You’re a dummy, and you work for CNN
We’re getting him back because of me.
We were in the midst of negotiating (Hubbard’s release), and a lot of stupid people said, and people that don’t know how life works, they said, ‘Why aren’t you putting Russian sanctions,’ and all this, in the midst of a negotiation to try and get a long-term hostage back from Russia
So you did give something?
Posts on X
President Trump is directly tying waiving Russian sanctions to the release of the freed American Stephen Hubbard, despite denying he gave anything to Putin.