CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Calls BS on Trump After Confronting Him About Ghislaine Maxwell Transfer
CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins called BS on President Donald Trump hours after grilling him about the transfer of Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell to a minimum security prison.
Trump has been asked repeatedly about pardoning Maxwell as Trump’s DOJ meets with her and Trump allies push a victim narrative. The president has not ruled out a pardon, instead boasting about his right to do so while also claiming it’s not the time “to talk about” a pardon.
Maxwell was transferred to a women’s prison in Texas last week following her meetings with Trump lawyer and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
On Tuesday night’s edition of CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, Collins opened the show by playing her confrontation with Trump over the transfer during a signing ceremony at the White House, then cast doubt on his responses:
KAITLAN COLLINS: At this hour, as his own top law enforcement officials are trying to figure out what to do with that tape, and that interview, President Trump is defending the sit-down overall, while also distancing himself from it. That includes the decision to move Ghislaine Maxwell to a minimum-security prison, following her sit-down with the Deputy Attorney General, which I questioned the President about today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Two questions for you. One, did you — were you aware of and did you personally approve the prison transfer for Ghislaine Maxwell that your Justice Department–
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I didn’t know about it at all, no. I read about it just like you did.
COLLINS: And do you believe that she’s a credible voice?
TRUMP: It’s not a very uncommon thing, I–
COLLINS: Do you believe that she’s credible to be listening to? Your Deputy Attorney General sat down with her recently.
TRUMP: Well, he’s, let me tell you. He’s a very talented man. His name is Todd Blanche. He’s a very legitimate person, very high. I just said very highly thought of person, respected by everybody.
And I didn’t talk to him about it. But I will tell you that whatever he asked would be totally appropriate. And it’s not an uncommon thing to do that. And I think he probably wants to make sure that, you know, people that should not be involved or aren’t involved are not hurt by something that would be very, very unfortunate, very unfair to a lot of people.
But I will say this. Todd Blanche is one of the most highly respected people you’ll ever meet. So I know this. I didn’t discuss it with him. But anything he talked about with her, or the fact that he did that, not unusual, number one and, most importantly, is something that would be totally aboveboard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: There are a few things, though, that are unusual. Experts tell us that Ghislaine Maxwell would have been required to get a special waiver to be transferred to what is called and known as Club Fed. And it is certainly not every day that the number two person in charge at the Justice Department conducts an interview like this himself.
Watch above via CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins.
