- By Ajeet Kumar
- Tue, 18 Aug 2026 01:08 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- White House attacked CNN's Kristen Holmes on social media.
- Attack mentioned Holmes' children over "disgusting" question.
- CNN defended Holmes, citing press freedom principles.
The White House issued a sharp personal attack on Monday against CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes, posting on social media that mentioned her children and accused her of asking a “disgusting and inhumane question.” She was repeatedly asked to be quiet.
What led to heated exchanges?
The confrontation followed a question Holmes put to US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. She asked him to respond to remarks by Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia, who told a crowd on Sunday that Trump “doesn’t want to do the job” and instead “wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar.”
.@KristenhCNN is a disgraceful, humiliating embarrassment to her alleged profession.@POTUS hosts a hero lifeguard in the Oval Office and she uses it as an opportunity to take a cheap shot about one of President Trump's staffers.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 17, 2026
These scumbags are the lowest of the low. pic.twitter.com/oUrwbAtBfJ
The reference was widely understood to point to Natalie Harp, the president’s executive assistant, and has drawn attention to perceptions of her closeness to Trump.
Trump dismissed the question by calling Ossoff a “Pee-wee Herman lookalike.” He later told Holmes, “Quiet, quiet, quiet. You’re very disrespectful.” When she identified herself as a CNN reporter, he replied: “Fake news, you’re fake news, you’re a loud boisterous person. You’re fake news. Be quiet. Be quiet. You’re a fake reporter and you report fake news.” He talked over her as she attempted to continue.
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White House's social media posts personal comments againt reporter
The White House “rapid response” social media account then posted a clip of the exchange, tagging Holmes and calling her a “disgraceful, humiliating embarrassment to her alleged profession.” It accused her of taking a “cheap shot” at a staffer and added: “These scumbags are the lowest of the low.” A follow-up post stated: “Someday, your children will come across your disgusting and inhumane question. They will be sickened and embarrassed to have a parent be so callous and vindictive. It’s quite troubling.”
.@KristenhCNN: Someday, your children will come across your disgusting and inhumane question. They will be sickened and embarrassed to have a parent be so callous and vindictive. It’s quite troubling. https://t.co/EWgPy7mXQP
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 17, 2026
CNN defends its journalist
CNN defended Holmes, describing her as “one of the most respected and accomplished journalists covering the White House.” The network said she had asked a “tough, relevant, and newsworthy question on behalf of the American people,” adding that while public officials may challenge reporting they disagree with, “personal attacks on journalists for asking questions are beneath the office and inconsistent with the principles of a free press.”
We stand firmly behind @KristenhCNN and reject these attacks in the strongest possible terms. https://t.co/qxDJW7XAmW pic.twitter.com/ui86bU6iGT
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) August 17, 2026
Several journalists condemned the White House’s personal targeting of Holmes. One of her CNN colleagues said: “Kristen is an incredible reporter, person and, above all, mother. I don’t understand such a reaction to a journalist asking the president for his response to something a Democratic senator has leveled against him.”