Kaitlan Collins Pulls Back The Curtain On Following Trump Around & It's Less Than Lavish

Kaitlan Collins' gig as CNN's chief White House correspondent is a big deal, but as she revealed in an interview with Heather McMahan, it's not always glamorous (and no, we're not just talking about all the times Donald Trump has gone beserk on Collins for not flattering his ego enough). During a February 2026 appearance on "Absolutely Not with Heather McMahan," the reporter opened up about what it was really like following the commander-in-chief around, particularly when traveling overseas. "I think people think, on Air Force One, it's just like this glamorous lifestyle — and it is a huge privilege, to be clear. Like, I would never ever complain about it, because every time you get on you're like, 'Oh my god, I'm flying on Air Force One, this is amazing," she began. Even so, Collins acknowledged that there are some challenges; in particular, the sleep situation, or lack thereof.

"You're basically just napping periodically," the CNN stalwart confirmed of the setup, joking that her sleep ring couldn't quite handle it. "Anytime I would check my ring [...] it's truly like, 'WTF?' Like, it doesn't even know how to register the score, because it's like, 'Oh, you had a nice nap last night,'" she quipped. Collins added that Trump's absurd sleeping habits didn't exactly help matters, because she and the rest of the press pool have to avoid fully falling asleep in case he decides to address them. "It's like half-resting, because you don't want to fully close your eyes, because if the president comes back, you want to be able to ask questions and gaggle," she explained, also noting that there were countless times when everyone's food went cold because Trump showed up to talk mid-dinner. 

Cold dinners and minimal sleep come with the territory of covering breaking news. But Kaitlan Collins has also had a ton of heated run-ins with the president (though, as she hinted in her "Absolutely Not with Heather McMahan" interview, they're usually one-sided). Speaking of the countless times Donald Trump went haywire on her, Collins clarified that she'd developed a thick skin over time, reasoning, "I've also covered Trump for 10 years, and so he doesn't really surprise me that often with his responses." Talk about a classy way to say someone has a history of trashing you while throwing tantrums. 

The CNN anchor makes a point of not being deterred by personal attacks when there's something more serious to focus on. "I've always maintained this and thought this when covering him, but any president and anyone who's in a position of power funded by taxpayer dollars, when they're trying to argue with you or belittle you or criticize you, it takes away from the point of the question," she noted. Sure enough, Collins has spoken about that in the past too. In a 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, she mused of Trump's taunts that CNN had low ratings, "I think it's a distraction technique." 

All things considered, it's safe to say the longtime journalist loves her job, even if it does sometimes mean cold food, little sleep, and occasional cattiness from the most powerful man in the world. What's more, Collins has her own way of keeping her cup filled during her off time, prioritizing proper sleep when she can get it and maintaining a social life, as CNN's chief White House correspondent proudly told McMahan. Collins' mental game is clearly top tier, so whatever she's doing, it's working.