CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Calls Out Trump on Her Show Hours After Being Attacked Relentlessly at White House
CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins called out President Donald Trump over Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the wrongly deported Maryland man who was the nucleus of Trump’s relentless attacks on Collins hours earlier at the White House.
Trump met with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office for a photo op on Monday, during which Trump repeatedly and viciously attacked CNN and CNN anchor and senior White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, which culminated in a heated exchange over Garcia’s fate.
On Monday night’s edition of CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, Collins opened her show by calling Trump out for trying to have it both ways and for “leaning on some of his top aides” when she cornered him over the Supreme Court ruling on Garcia.
What she didn’t do was mention or repeat any of Trump’s attacks on her:
COLLINS: At the White House tonight, the question is, which is it? Was it a mistake, an administrative error? Or was it the right person sent to the, quote, right place? The Trump administration has now made both arguments, one in court and the other in front of the cameras, including today, as El Salvador’s President visited the White House for the first time.
But both President Bukele, and President Trump, were on the same page when it came to this. Neither plans to return the man, who the Trump administration has acknowledged was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, back to the U.S., despite a Supreme Court ruling that he should be returned. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Do you plan to ask President Bukele to help return the man who your administration says was mistakenly deported?
TRUMP: Which one is this?
COLLINS: The man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.
TRUMP: Well, let me ask Pam, would you — ask to answer that question?
PAM BONDI: Sure, President.
First and foremost, he was illegally in our country. He had been illegally in our country. And in 2019, two courts, an immigration court and an appellate immigration court, ruled that he was a member of MS-13, and he was illegally in our country. Right now, it was a paperwork — it was additional paperwork had needed to be done. That’s up to El Salvador if they want to return him. That’s not up to us.
TRUMP: Would you answer that question also, please?
STEPHEN MILLER: Yes, gladly. So, as Pam mentioned, he’s an illegal alien from El Salvador.
As two immigration courts found that he was a member of MS-13. When President Trump declared MS-13 to be a foreign terrorist organization, that meant that he was no longer eligible, under federal law, that he was no longer eligible for any form of immigration relief in the United States. So he had a deportation order that was valid, which meant that, under our law, he’s not even allowed to be present in the United States, and had to be returned because of the foreign terrorist designation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Now, here’s what we do know. Abrego Garcia was in the United States, illegally, after he entered the country sometime around 2011. But in 2019, he was granted legal status by an immigration judge who found that he was facing danger from gang members in his home country. His wife is a U.S. citizen, along with their children.
And as for the declaration that courts found Garcia to be a member of MS-13, his attorneys have disputed that. A federal judge has said, the evidence about that claim wasn’t substantiated, and he has not been charged as a gang member or a terrorist.
Now, the administration is making clear they do not intend to seek this man’s return, despite a Supreme Court ruling in recent days, that the White House must, quote, facilitate it. And despite this comment from President Trump, just a few days ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: If the Supreme Court said, Bring somebody back, I would do that. I respect the Supreme Court. If they said to bring him back, I would tell them to bring him back.
COLLINS: Mr. President, you said that if the Supreme Court said someone needed to be returned, that you would abide by that. You said that on Air Force One, just a few days ago. And they said that–
TRUMP: How long do we have to answer this question from you?
COLLINS: –it must be facilitated.
TRUMP: Why don’t you just say, Isn’t it wonderful that we’re keeping criminals out of our country. Why can’t you just say that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: As you can see there, in the Oval Office today, the President seemed to backtrack on what he said about the Supreme Court. And instead, leaned on some of his top aides to help make the case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: So you don’t plan to ask for his help to get him back?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But the Supreme Court’s asking–
COLLINS: Is that your–
TRUMP: And what was the ruling–
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: Is that your position?
TRUMP: –from the Supreme Court, Steve? Was it nine to nothing?
MILLER: Yes. It was a nine-zero.
TRUMP: In our favor?
MILLER: In our favor, against the District Court ruling, saying that no District Court has the power to compel the foreign policy function of the United States. As Pam said, the ruling solely stated that if this individual, at El Salvador’s sole discretion, was sent back to our country, that we could deport him a second time.
COLLINS: Well I–
MILLER: No version of this legally ends up with him ever living here because he is a citizen of El Salvador.
That is the President of El Salvador. Your questions about per the court can only be directed to him.
(END VIDEO CLIP) COLLINS: Now, given that statement there, and also from the Attorney General, Pam Bondi, who was seated in front of Stephen Miller, that really this is up to the President of El Salvador to make this decision. I asked President Bukele directly to weigh in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Can President Bukele weigh in on this? Do you plan to return him?
PRESIDENT NAYIB BUKELE: Well, I’m — suppose you are not suggesting that I smuggle terrorists into the United States, right?
How can I return him to the United States? Like if I smuggle him into the United States, or what do I do? Of course, I’m not going to do it. It’s like — I mean, the question is preposterous. How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? I don’t have the power to return him to the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: So Bukele says that he does not have the power, after you also heard the Attorney General say that it was up to him whether or not El Salvador would ultimately return Abrego Garcia to the United States.
And I should note. Tonight, we’re hearing from government attorneys, who were back in court responding to a federal judge, has given them a daily deadline to essentially check in with what steps they are taking to facilitate his return. And they have said that the U.S. government, quote, Does not have the authority to forcibly extract him from El Salvador.
Watch above via CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins.
