Former President Trump snapped at CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins during a contentious town hall event in New Hampshire on Wednesday night, calling her a “nasty person.”
As Collins repeatedly asked Trump about his handling of classified documents, Trump paused and asked the network’s star anchor: “Can I talk? Can I answer the question.”
“I want you to answer the question, that’s why I asked it,” Collins said.
“You’re a nasty person,” Trump responded.
During Wednesday’s town hall event, Trump largely talked over Collins and refused to concede that he lost the 2020 election. Earlier in the town hall, he praised her as someone “I know very well” before saying “you’re not stupid” but suggesting “maybe you’ve been given an agenda.”
Being chosen by CNN President Chris Licht to moderate Wednesday’s town hall is widely seen as a significant moment for Collins’s ascendant career. She was recently tapped by Licht to host its revamped flagship morning program after serving as a top White House reporter during the Trump and Biden administrations.
Licht and CNN have taken criticism, primarily from the political left, over the network’s decision to host Wednesday night’s event, including from some within the network’s ranks.
Updated: 9:21 p.m.