Kaitlan Collins Tried to Corner Karoline Leavitt on National Guard Authority—And Got Schooled on Federal Law in Real Time

There’s a particular tone some reporters take when they think they’ve landed the clever question. A tilt in the chin. A slight pause before delivery. A flash of self-assurance—because the real headline, they believe, is already being written.

On this day, Kaitlan Collins had that tone.

She leaned in. Quoted legal code. Tried to catch Karoline Leavitt off balance.

It didn’t work.

The Setup: “Are You Suggesting the President Can Deploy Troops at Will?”

It came during a tense back-and-forth about the president’s decision to deploy federal resources to California in response to ongoing violence.

Collins framed the question carefully:

“Is it really within the president’s constitutional authority to involve the military in domestic law enforcement?”

It was meant to sound serious. Sobering. Legally grounded.

Leavitt didn’t blink.

“You’re asking if the commander in chief can secure American cities? Yes, Kaitlan. He can.”

The silence in the room said it all.

Karoline Leavitt's Pettiest Interactions With CNN's Kaitlan Collins

The Shift: From Talking Point to Takedown

Leavitt didn’t pivot. She leaned in.

“Under U.S. Code Title 10, Section 12406, the president has clear authority to federalize the National Guard when governors fail to maintain order. That’s not controversial. That’s law.”

No rhetoric. No slogans. Just chapter and verse.

Collins tried to recover—raising the Insurrection Act, asking whether the administration was laying the groundwork to invoke it.

Leavitt shut that down too:

“The president hasn’t invoked the Insurrection Act. He hasn’t needed to. What he’s invoked is leadership.”

The Moment the Room Realized the Roles Had Flipped

The press room isn’t used to that tone—from that side of the podium.

Reporters press. Spokespeople spin.

But not this time.

Leavitt recited statutes. Explained interagency coordination. Cited language from the Secretary of Defense’s own memo.

And as she spoke, Collins’ attempt to push a constitutional crisis narrative slowly… collapsed.

Karoline Leavitt And Kaitlan Collins' Heated Exchange Won't Help Either Of Their Reputations

Beyond the Clash: What the Administration Was Actually Signaling

Beneath the back-and-forth, the message was strategic and clear:

The federal government would not wait for California officials to get their act together.

ICE and Border Patrol would be protected.

Communities under siege by rioters—many reportedly non-citizens—would get help, whether their governors wanted it or not.

“This isn’t about headlines,” Leavitt said. “It’s about safety.”

And with that, she moved on—leaving no space for a follow-up.

Final Thought: The Press Tried to Challenge the Boundaries. Karoline Brought the Law.

There are moments in a briefing room when the energy shifts.

When the questioner becomes the questioned. When the person behind the mic stops reacting and starts leading.

That’s what happened here.

Kaitlan Collins came armed with tone.
Karoline Leavitt came armed with Title 10.

And by the end of the exchange, the difference couldn’t have been clearer.