Wednesday, during an appearance on CNN’s “The Source,” Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins took on network host Kaitlan Collins, who chose to make the so-called Signalgate narrative an emphasis of her interview about veterans.
Doug Collins confronted the CNN host on her tactic, which suggested that CNN had a “problem with veterans.”
Partial transcript as follows:
KAITLAN COLLINS: You served in the Navy, and the Air Force. How would you have felt if information like this was talked about, in an unclassified group chat, if a Navy fighter pilot is in the air?
DOUG COLLINS: Well, I think the one thing, Kaitlan — it’s good to be with you, tonight. I think the President and those involved in the chat, which I was not involved in the chat, have explained that. I trust the President’s opinion on that. I trust what’s been going on.
Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. And my opinion is that my job is to take care of veterans in this country, as they come out of service, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do.
K. COLLINS: We heard from some of your former colleagues, up on the Hill today, some Republicans who said they don’t like how the administration is handling this, that they’re kind of tying themselves in knots by saying it wasn’t classified information. Do you believe that a mistake was made here, though, to have this conversation, to add a reporter, and to have it on an unsupported, unclassified group setting?
D. COLLINS: Kaitlan, as I’ve just told you, I’ve just answered the question. I wasn’t part of it. And I’m not going to speculate more than what the President’s already talked about, and those who have been involved have talked about. But would love to talk about the veterans.
K. COLLINS: Yes, and I do have questions about the veterans.
But given what we saw with the group chat, and how this was used. You are a member of the Cabinet. You obviously know these other members, several of them who were in there. Is this typical for the Cabinet to have conversations over Signal? Is this something that you use?
D. COLLINS: Well, Kaitlan, since you undoubtedly do not want to talk about the VA I have a question, as VA Secretary, as Cabinet, I want to ask you, because I’ve been curious about this, because my job is to take care of veterans.
And I would like to know why CNN is hostile to veterans, especially one in Florida, where you just had a $5 million defamation suit, taking offense at a veteran who was trying to help people. In fact, one of your employees actually said, We’re going to nail him.
I have a question for you, Kaitlan. Is that employee still employed? Are you really concerned about veterans? So, if we don’t want to talk about veterans now, and you want to talk about everything else, I’d like to hear from CNN, as the Veteran Cabinet Secretary, why CNN seems to have a problem with veterans?
K. COLLINS: Well, Mr. Secretary, respectfully, my question was about–
D. COLLINS: No, answer my question, Kaitlan.
K. COLLINS: –whether or not you, as a member of the Cabinet use this.
D. COLLINS: Answer my question, Kaitlan.
K. COLLINS: And respectfully, I’m conducting the investigation. And I do have a lot of questions for you, on Veterans Affairs. But I don’t think it would be unwarranted to ask–
D. COLLINS: No, Kaitlan, what you want to do is you want to talk about a subject–
K. COLLINS: –if you as a member of the Cabinet–
D. COLLINS: What you want to do is talk about a subject that I have already answered. And if you want to continue this, like this, that’s fine. But there are VA employees, who are working very hard. There are veterans who get their care from the VA, and they get their benefits from the VA And it does mean no good to speculate on something that I’ve already asked and answered. So I’ve asked and answered your question. Why don’t you answer mine? Are you still in — is this person still employed, who said they were going to nail one of my veterans, who you had to do a $5 million award from a jury–
K. COLLINS: Sir–
D. COLLINS: –because of defamation, and then you settled the case? Answer my question.
[21:25:00]
K. COLLINS: Respectfully, sir, I’m asking the questions here, and I have no involvement in what you’re referencing there.
D. COLLINS: No, I am–
K. COLLINS: But if you don’t want to answer the question about whether or not it’s commonplace–
D. COLLINS: I am not–
K. COLLINS: –for secretaries in the Cabinet to use Signal.
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