Trump, Bukele, and Top Officials Embarrass CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Over MS-13 Deportation Case
A Fiery Press Conference Shuts Down Media Spin Over Gang Member’s Return
In a scorching moment during Monday’s joint press conference between President Donald Trump and El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins found herself publicly dismantled by the President, the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, and even Bukele himself — all over a court-ordered attempt to return a deported MS-13 gang member to the United States.
Collins repeatedly pressed the administration over the status of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal alien and confirmed MS-13 gang member, who was deported to El Salvador after two U.S. courts found him ineligible for immigration relief under terrorism statutes.
President Trump immediately set the tone.
“Let’s hear the question from this very low-rated anchor at CNN,” Trump quipped, before deferring her question to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, each of whom delivered a methodical teardown of the false media narrative surrounding the case.
Bondi: “We Will Not Be Smuggling Terrorists Back In”
Attorney General Pam Bondi clarified that Abrego Garcia had already been lawfully deported after due process and two separate court rulings. “He was illegally in our country,” she said. “Right now, it was additional paperwork needed to be done. That’s up to El Salvador if they want to return him.”
She added that the Supreme Court’s decision affirmed the administration’s constitutional authority over foreign policy and clarified that the federal government cannot be compelled to retrieve a foreign national from a sovereign country.
Miller: “It’s Arrogant to Tell El Salvador What To Do With Their Citizens”
Stephen Miller then tore into the premise of Collins’ question, calling it “arrogant” for American media to imply the U.S. has the right to demand another country forcibly return its citizen.
“He is a citizen of El Salvador. It’s very arrogant for American media to suggest we should tell El Salvador how to handle their own people,” Miller said.
Miller reminded reporters that MS-13 has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization, rendering any member ineligible for relief under U.S. immigration law. He added that the deportation order was not only valid — it was mandated by law.
“No district court can compel the President or Secretary of State to retrieve a gang member convicted of terrorism from a sovereign nation.”
Bukele: “You Want Us to Release a Terrorist?”
President Nayib Bukele did not hold back either. When Collins asked whether he would return Abrego Garcia to the United States, Bukele responded with laser precision:
“Of course, you’re not suggesting I smuggle a terrorist into the United States, right?” he asked pointedly. “How can I return him? I don’t have the power to return him.”
When another reporter asked if El Salvador would release Abrego Garcia, Bukele fired back again:
“We’re not fond of releasing terrorists into our country. We just turned the murder capital of the world into the safest country in the western hemisphere — and you want us to go back to releasing criminals?”
Rubio: “Foreign Policy Is Conducted by the President, Not the Courts”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio drove home the legal bottom line.
“The foreign policy of the United States is conducted by the President — not the courts. And no court has the authority to dictate how we engage with sovereign nations.”
Supreme Court: 9–0 in Favor of Trump’s DOJ
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 9-0 unanimous decision, sided with the Trump administration, ruling that no judge can force the Executive Branch to retrieve a deported individual — especially one deemed a terrorist threat.
“This gang member will not be living here,” Miller concluded. “No version of this ends with him staying in the United States. He is El Salvador’s responsibility now.”
Final Verdict
In one press conference, President Trump, Bukele, and top officials not only defended a hardline immigration and anti-gang policy — they completely humiliated a hostile media narrative built around sympathy for a violent gang member. The administration’s unified front emphasized one thing above all:
The law, sovereignty, and national security are not negotiable — no matter how many times CNN asks.
