Kaitlan Collins airs scathing attack on Trump's health after communism claims
CNN host Kaitlan Collins has interviewed Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who said he believes President Donald Trump has dementia - but the White House rebuked his comments06:55 ET, 02 Jul 2026CNN journalist. . .
CNN host Kaitlan Collins has interviewed Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who said he believes President Donald Trump has dementia - but the White House rebuked his comments06:55 ET, 02 Jul 2026CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins has aired a scathing attack on Donald Trump's health following the president's recent comments on communism. TheRepublican politician,80, boldly declared that the rise of the Communist Party is a greater threat to America than both the World Wars and the September 11 terrorist attacks. In a lengthy statement about his Save America Act, the president wrote on Truth Social, "In light of the tremendous loss in the Supreme Court today concerning Voter's Rights, and the fact that 'people's' votes are allowed to be counted LONG AFTER an Election is over, it is more important than ever to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT. ""The House of Representatives has approved this vital Act, THREE TIMES," he added. "The United StatesSenateseems unable to do so. In a time when there is a powerful Communist Movement taking place in our Country,one more dangerous than World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, or September 11th. "Article continues belowWhile interviewing Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, CNN host Collins, 34, said, "The president says that 'democratic socialist,' which he says is a nice term for 'communist,' as he's been labeling these Democrats since they won last week, he says that the greatest threat to the country since its founding, and he said that includes World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor and 9/11. "Content cannot be displayed without consentDelivering a scathing assessment of the president, Pritzker said, "The man is continually suffering from dementia. I don't think he really understands what he's saying. "The truth is that, I mean, this is a man who's threatened to jail the mayor of Chicago, the governor of Illinois. He regularly threatens to go after people and indeed has used the Department of Justice to go after people. "The governor continued, "I think he has these concepts in his head, and he blurts them out without really thinking. " Going back to Pritzker's dementia remarks, Collins asked the 61-year-old politician, "Do you really think the president has dementia?""I do, I do," Pritzker replied. "I think if you look at any of the videos from 2015 or 2016, and look at how he responded to questions, and how he was at press conferences, and then you fast-forward and look at him now, I really think that there's something genually wrong with him. "He continued, "I'm not a doctor. I haven't diagnosed anything. I'm just suggesting to you that, just look at the way he puts words and sentences together and thoughts, and they're almost divergent in the same sentences. "Collins shared the clip on Instagram with the caption, "Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says he thinks President Trump has dementia. " In response to the governor's comments, a White House spokersperson told CNN, "Jay is a certifiable loser who has done a terrible job running his state. Everybody sees it clearly, except for him. He must have dementia. "The comments come just over a month after Trump's physician said the president is in "excellent health" and is "fully fit" to serve following a medical exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. A report from Dr. Sean Barbabella, released at the end of May, said Trump underwent a CT scan and other heart imaging, along with cancer screenings and other preventative assessments carried out by 22 specialists. Trump said after the three-hour visit that everything checked out "PERFECTLY. " The president weighed in at 238 pounds (108kg), up 14 pounds (6kg) from a medical exam in April 2025. His doctors gave him guidance on his diet, physical activity and weight loss, but concluded his "cognitive and physical performance are excellent. "Article continues belowWith his 6-foot, 3-inch (1. 9-meter) frame, Trump has a body mass index of 29. 7. An index of 30 is considered by doctors to be obese. The report also documented bruising on Trump's hands, explained as "minor soft tissue irritation related to frequent handshaking," and said it was "a common and benign effect of aspirin therapy. " Among the recommendations was a switch to low-dose aspirin. Last year the White House said Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a fairly common condition for older adults that causes blood to pool in the president's legs. The report from his latest exam noted "slight lower leg swelling" but said there was "improvement from last year. " His doctor reported nothing abnormal, saying Trump demonstrated strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and overall health.