VA Secretary Doug Collins Deflects Signal Leak Questions, Criticizes CNN Over Veteran Lawsuit

In a contentious CNN interview, Collins avoided addressing a Trump administration national security leak by attacking the network's treatment of veterans and its $5 million defamation lawsuit settlement.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins repeatedly refused to answer questions about the Trump administration's Signal group chat national security leak during a CNN interview on March 26, 2025.
Collins redirected the discussion to criticize CNN over a $5 million defamation lawsuit it settled with a Navy veteran earlier this year, accusing the network of hostility toward veterans.
The secretary demanded to know if the CNN employee involved in the defamation case was still employed, framing his criticism as a defense of veterans' interests.
Host Kaitlan Collins attempted to steer the interview back to questions about the Signal controversy and VA-related funding cuts but faced continued deflection.
The interview has reignited broader debates about government transparency, media accountability, and the strategic use of veterans' issues in political discourse.