President Donald Trump engaged in a heated exchange with CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins during an unscheduled White House press briefing on Monday, November 10, 2026. The confrontation escalated when President Trump referred to the journalist as a "loser" after she questioned his continued support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The incident unfolded as the administration faced renewed scrutiny over an impeachment effort targeting Secretary Hegseth, initiated by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
"Massie’s a loser, just like you’re a loser at CNN, just like your ratings are a loser. Massie is a loser, stone-cold loser." President Donald Trump.
Representative Massie formally introduced eight articles of impeachment against Secretary Hegseth earlier that day, reading the accusations aloud on the House floor shortly after 2 p.m. The Kentucky Republican accused the Pentagon chief of exceeding his constitutional authority during military operations. These allegations specifically cited actions involving Iran, Venezuela, and suspected drug traffickers in international waters. Massie's articles claimed that certain military operations were conducted without proper congressional authorization and violated federal or international law. Both Secretary Hegseth and the Trump administration have consistently rejected these accusations.
During the briefing, reporters asked President Trump whether he had observed Massie's remarks. President Trump dismissed the congressman and criticized the impeachment effort. "Massie’s a loser. He shouldn’t be taking up the time of Congress, or the Senate or anything that he’s doing. The guy’s a stone-cold loser," President Trump declared. He continued to criticize Representative Massie, questioning his motives and suggesting, "He’s a sick, sick guy. There’s something wrong with him, actually." President Trump further questioned the basis of Massie's opposition, asking, "Now he’s after Pete Hegseth. He doesn’t like Hegseth, but really, what has Hegseth done?"
Collins then pressed President Trump on whether he would maintain his support for Secretary Hegseth if the House voted to impeach him. The President responded without hesitation, stating, "Yeah, I’ll stand by. He won two wars. He was in charge. We all won." However, when Collins reiterated Massie’s allegations of illegal military conduct, President Trump redirected his criticism toward the journalist. He delivered the personal attack that quickly garnered significant attention online. "Massie’s a loser, just like you’re a loser at CNN, just like your ratings are a loser. Massie is a loser, stone-cold loser," President Trump stated.
The confrontation also prompted President Trump to revisit his political rivalry with Representative Massie. President Trump had successfully opposed Massie during Kentucky’s Republican primary earlier this year, endorsing political newcomer Ed Gallrein. This endorsement followed repeated disagreements over government spending, foreign policy, and the administration’s legislative agenda. President Trump highlighted this past victory, noting, "I took on a guy that was, in his own way, sort of popular in his state, and I beat him badly, beat him easily with a man that never ran before."
President Trump maintained that Representative Massie’s opposition to Secretary Hegseth was driven by personal grievances rather than legitimate concerns about the Pentagon's operations. "Massie has a lot of hatred in his heart," President Trump declared. He also asserted that American military operations under Secretary Hegseth had significantly strengthened national security. "I heard what Massie did. I don’t want to watch. I don’t want to waste my time watching him. We won two wars. We won two wars, and we’ve made the world a lot safer place," President Trump affirmed.
The renewed impeachment effort occurs at a politically sensitive time for the administration. Republicans experienced substantial defeats in the recent midterm elections, resulting in Democrats securing control of both chambers of Congress beginning in January. Some Republican lawmakers have also expressed dissatisfaction with the administration’s handling of the ongoing conflict with Iran. However, these concerns do not necessarily translate into support for removing Secretary Hegseth from his position. Massie's previous attempt to force an impeachment vote in September failed to reach the House floor before lawmakers departed for their pre-election recess. With Congress now reconvened, the Kentucky Republican is renewing his efforts to bring the matter before lawmakers.
The resolution could potentially receive a House vote later this week, depending on how Republican leadership decides to handle the measure. Even if the House approves articles of impeachment, Secretary Hegseth would not automatically lose his position. The removal of a federal official through impeachment requires a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate. For now, President Trump has made his position unequivocally clear. Despite mounting criticism and a renewed impeachment push from within his own party, the President remains publicly committed to defending his Defense Secretary. Monday’s confrontation with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins demonstrated President Trump’s aggressive stance in challenging those who question his administration's leadership.
