As Matt covered earlier, CNN's Kaitlan Collins put out a truly bizarre post in which she shared the legal defense fund link for Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. After much backlash, Collins deleted the post, but has since been claiming that she did no such thing.
On Sunday morning, Collins responded to an article by The New York Post, "CNN’s Kaitlan Collins deletes post promoting Luigi Mangione’s defense fund after backlash."
"This is not true. I posted that his attorneys created a website, which is newsworthy and other outlets have also reported on. In no way did I share a fundraising link for him," Collins claimed.
This is not true. I posted that his attorneys created a website, which is newsworthy and other outlets have also reported on. In no way did I share a fundraising link for him.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 16, 2025
The post has been hit with close to 7,000 replies in the approximately 24 hours that it's been up as well as plenty of quoted reposts. Given all the attention to such a post, we might even expect some context and corrections from Community Notes.
Especially in this day and age, the internet is forever, with users also posting screenshots to remind Collins of what she indeed posted.
1: She deleted the post. (If there was nothing wrong then why did she delete it?)
— L A R R Y (@LarryOConnor) February 16, 2025
2: Here is a screenshot. I have marked out the website that she shared... the fundraising link that she is now claiming she did not share.
3: The cover-up is always worse than the crime pic.twitter.com/xjE7TSn50R
This you? https://t.co/FANtomsVfu
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 16, 2025
The link she shared (which she later deleted) was for a website collecting contributions for Luigi Mangione.
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) February 16, 2025
All she had to do was say, “I didn’t realize and apologize.” Instead she’s lying about it.
But remember, these people are vital to our democracy or something. pic.twitter.com/OxwZWSbnKN
Hey Kaitlan, the internet is forever pic.twitter.com/jdPHyTKkLV
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 16, 2025
Users also raised pertinent questions about Collins' framing, such as if she even looked at the link to what she was posting, and if she is calling out The New York Post for reporting on what she posted, why did she actually delete it?
Sigh.
— Roxanne Hoge (@RoxanneHoge) February 16, 2025
I know you have @ScottPresler-level fabulous hair, but surely you glanced at the website before sharing it?
If you didn't, that's just as bad, if not worse. pic.twitter.com/ofOj2kQBVR
If that’s the case, then why delete it?
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) February 16, 2025
You know what you did was sick and twisted
Why’d you delete the post if it wasn’t you sharing a fundraising link (which it was).
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) February 16, 2025
Collins has yet to post anything else about Mangione, including when it comes to the since-deleted post.
It's certainly been a rough few days for the CNN host. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump called Collins out for rudely interrupting him as he was still holding up the executive order he had just signed about reciprocal tariffs. He also put her in her place, as well as all of CNN, over Russia's war with Ukraine and for the network's defense of President Joe Biden.
President Trump absolutely TORCHES Fake News CNN's @kaitlancollins for rudely interrupting: "Excuse me, we haven't asked you to speak yet" 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QPDuKILalA
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 13, 2025
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