In a fiery exchange emblematic of the widening gulf between conservative voices and the mainstream press, political commentator Meghan McCain reportedly took direct aim at CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday, urging the White House to revoke her press credentials after what McCain called a “partisan hack job” disguised as journalism.
“Kaitlan Collins is an absolute imbecile and a pure partisan hack,” McCain wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Have some respect for the two women standing in front of you who are exposing lies, deep corruption and keeping the country safe. The White House should pull her credentials.”
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McCain was responding to Collins’ confrontational exchange with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard—both of whom were addressing the press corps about foreign intelligence threats and the political weaponization of national security during the Obama years.
Gabbard, a Democrat-turned-independent who has frequently drawn conservative praise, alleged during the briefing that former President Barack Obama and his allies attempted to sabotage then-candidate Donald Trump ahead of the 2016 election.
Collins, staying true to her combative style, fired back during the briefing: “What would you say to people who believe that you’re only releasing these documents now to improve your standing with the president after he said that your intelligence assessments were wrong?”
She was referring to earlier disputes over intelligence assessments on Iran’s nuclear program, which have long shown a divide between hawkish policy makers and elements of the intelligence bureaucracy.
To critics like McCain, Collins’ questioning didn’t reflect journalistic rigor—it reflected open hostility toward women in power who challenge the Beltway status quo. “These women,” McCain wrote, “are exposing lies, deep corruption and keeping the country safe.”
Collins has built a brand as a cable news combatant—earning acclaim in progressive circles for pressing Republicans on her nightly CNN program and for pointedly challenging Trump during press gaggles.
But her tactics have also drawn criticism for crossing the line from accountability into grandstanding.
There is precedent for the Trump team taking action against what it perceives as media bias. During Trump’s first term, the White House pulled CNN’s Jim Acosta’s press credentials following a heated exchange.
Though Acosta’s pass was later reinstated, the episode served as a warning to legacy media that access is not unconditional.
Trump’s current media strategy continues to challenge that dynamic. The White House has moved to exert more control over the daily press pool, giving more access to new and conservative media outlets while sidelining traditional players seen as hostile.
The president has also taken legal action against major outlets in recent months, accusing them of defamation and misinformation.
On Monday, Press Secretary Leavitt announced that The Wall Street Journal would be barred from covering Trump’s upcoming trip to Scotland, citing its reporting on the president’s alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
In this latest skirmish, the real story may not be about one reporter’s aggressive question, but about the reshaping of media access in an era where accountability goes both ways. For McCain and others, it’s time that mainstream journalists faced the same scrutiny they so eagerly dish out
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