2WAY Tonight with Mark Halperin "They Should Be Ashamed of You": Trump Denounces CNN Host Kaitlan Collins for Asking About Epstein
Feb 3, 2026
Marc Caputo, political reporter for Axios with deep knowledge of national politics and Latin America. They discuss the Oval Office press session and why reporters pressed about Epstein. Conversation covers Trump’s Iran and Russia comments. They also unpack press attacks on Kaitlan Collins and shifting roles in Ukraine diplomacy.
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Long Oval Event Dominates News Cycle
- The president held a lengthy Oval Office event that dominated coverage and pushed other planned stories OBE (overtaken by events).
- Marc Caputo and Mark Halperin note the event's length forced many planned segments and guests off the agenda.
Tough Questions Kept Epstein Front And Center
- CNN's Kaitlan Collins pressed the president on Epstein and related contacts, which drew his sharp public criticism.
- Marc Caputo says Collins is unflappable and her questions drove much of the Epstein-focused coverage that day.
Epstein Coverage Became Partisan Framing
- The president framed Epstein primarily as a Democratic scandal while downplaying GOP ties and other figures' involvement.
- Caputo notes both parties had connections to Epstein, so the politics of focus matter a great deal.