Karoline Leavitt Gets Into Heated Exchange With CNN's Kaitlan Collins Over Iran War: Watch

During a heated White House press briefing on March 4, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clashed with CNN's Kaitlan Collins over the administration's stance on media coverage of U.S. service member deaths in Iran.

The exchange began when Collins asked if the Trump administration believed the press should not "prominently cover" the deaths of six U.S. troops killed during "Operation Epic Fury."

"Is it the position of this administration that the press should not prominently cover the deaths of U.S. service members?" Collins asked.

"No," Leavitt responded. "It's the position of this administration that the press in this room and the press across the country should accurately report on the success of 'Operation Epic Fury' and the damage it is doing to the rogue Iranian regime that has threatened the lives of every single American in this room."

This question from Collins referenced earlier remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who had criticized the media for making "tragic developments" front-page news, suggesting such coverage aimed to make the president "look bad.”

Leavitt accused Collins and CNN of being "disingenuous," asserting that the network's goal is strictly to portray the president negatively.

Collins noted that Hegseth was "complaining" about how the six fallen soldiers were making "front-page news."

"No, that's not what the secretary said, Kaitlan, and that's not what the secretary meant, and you know it," Leavitt snapped. "You know you're being disingenuous — we've never had a secretary of defense who cares more..."

Collins retorted by reading Hegseth’s statement in which he said, “But when a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front-page news. I get it, the press only wants to make the president look bad.”

As the debate escalated, the pregnant press secretary addressed Collins, stating, "Listen to me — especially you, and especially CNN," while defending Hegseth’s commitment to the military.

"The press does only want to make the president look bad. That's a fact," Leavitt exclaimed. "Especially you and especially CNN. And our Secretary of Defense cares deeply about our war fighters and our men and women in uniform. He travels all across this country to meet with them, to connect with them, and your network has hardly ever probably reported on that."

The 28-year-old Leavitt, the youngest person in U.S. history to hold this position, reinforced that the press should "accurately report on the success" of the military operation and the damage done to the Iranian regime, rather than focusing on casualties.

She ended the exchange by taking a swipe at CNN's ratings, suggesting they reflect the public's disagreement with what she termed the network's "overwhelmingly negative" coverage.

"I don't think covering troop deaths is trying to make the president look bad," Collins said.

The briefing occurred five days into a joint U.S.-Israel military campaign that resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and over 2,000 targets being hit.

Despite reports of successes, the deaths of six American service members became a focal point for the administration's criticism of the media.