'Pathetic': VA secretary slammed over 'laughable' claim reporter is ‘scaring' veterans

A public dressing down delivered by Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins to longtime military reporter Patricia Kime received its own round of sharp criticism from media advocates and colleagues who slammed the moment as “ridiculous” and “laughable.”

The latest episode involving a Trump administration official lashing out at a reporter came Tuesday when Collins ambushed Kime with an article he took issue with, which he had ready to pull out of his jacket pocket.

“All I seem to be doing lately is fighting back against innuendo and rumor stories,” he said as he handed Kime the article and added: “And some of it is with you.”

He continued unloading on the Military.com reporter as he claimed Kime’s reporting of “a rumor going around” in the article “hurts my veterans, scares my veterans, that scares my employees because it’s not true.”

“I want you to know something,” Collins told Kime during the sit-down interview – turned journalistic lesson. “I want to work with you a lot as we go forward, we’re going to have a lot of time together. But I’m not going to have any reporter scare my employees and scaring the veterans – and that’s what this is doing.”

But Collins’ sudden sparring match with Kime was roundly blasted by some who disagreed with the approach the cabinet secretary took on Tuesday.

“This is a, frankly, [a] laughable way to speak to someone like @patriciakime who has been tirelessly covering the military and veterans for YEARS,” according to an X post by CNN’s Haley Britzky, the network’s national security reporter who covers the Pentagon. “You’ll be hard-pressed to find more of a pro who cares as much as she does. The work she has done is completely indispensable."

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Army veteran and podcast host Fred Wellman called the talking down unleashed by Collins “pathetic” and told his followers on X that it was the VA secretary that was the real problem at the agency.

“We all have friends at VA. We are getting the truth,” Wellman said. “Your employees are scared because of what you’re doing. You announced cutting 83,000 employees. You canceled over 800 contracts and then reinstated them. You fired at least 2 crisis line workers. YOU are the problem, @SecVetAffairs.”

Leo Shane III, deputy editor for the Military Times, said he wrote “nearly the same thing as Patricia, but the Secretary chose not to bring it up with me.”

“Very confusing,” Shane said. He added in a series of posts criticizing the moment: “This is a ridiculous and intentional misinterpretation of Patricia’s story. She accurately reports that rumors were circulating about DOGE involvement at VA and then sets the record straight. Sec Collins decided to attack one word in the story for unclear reasons.”

Collins' remarks to Kime were later posted on the VA secretary's official X account with the message: "Reporters – Please help our Veterans by NOT spreading unconfirmed rumors, hearsay and innuendo about @DeptVetAffairs. Thank you!"

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