CNN's Kaitlan Collins revealed the moment White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt came to her aid on a trip to the Middle East despite their fiery past.
Collins, 33, and Leavitt, 28, have gone head-to-head on many occasions, sparring with heated questions and answers in packed press rooms.
So when Collins was almost banned from entering a press room in Saudi Arabia after an awkward interaction with Donald Trump in front with the country's leader, she was stunned to see who came to her rescue.
Collins explained on the Absolutely Not Podcast she had shouted a question to the president during a press conference with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman which Trump ignored.
'They famously do not like the media there,' Collins said.
After the officials left the room, Collins said the, 'Saudi Royal Guard kind of freaked out because I dared to ask a question'.
'They're not used to that there, because they don't have a free press,' she explained.
Moments later, she was informed she would not be allowed into the next event because of her actions.
CNN's Kaitlan Collins recalled the moment Karoline Leavitt saved her while on a press trip to Saudi Arabia
Despite their many spats, Karoline intervened when the Saudi Royal Guard told Collins she wouldn't be allowed into a press event after she had shouted a question at Donald Trump in the previous one
White House staff noticed the confrontation and ran to Leavitt, who stepped in to save Collins.
'To her credit, she said: "No, Kaitlan is coming in with the rest of the US press",' the 33-year-old CNN anchor recalled, which de-escalated the issue.
'I do think its important in that moment, especially when you're kind of the US contingent abroad, and we don't do things like they do in Saudi Arabia,' she added.
The private moment is a far cry from the many public spats the two have had inside the White House press room.
In December, Kaitlan quizzed the Republican on Trump's economic record, causing Leavitt to accuse the media of pressing her harder on the topic than the former press secretary about President Joe Biden's record.
During a furious clash over inflation, Collins argued at the time that 'nobody is saying it wasn't high under Biden'.
'Well, nobody reported it being high under Biden,' Leavitt shot back.
When Collins attempted to switch the topic and ask another question, Leavitt refused and moved on. But the White House press secretary savagely returned to the journalist later in the briefing to insult CNN.
Leavitt told the guards that Collins would be going in with the rest of the US press
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) meets with US President Donald Trump in Riyadh on May 13, 2025 on the trip Collins would have attended
In November, Collins accused Leavitt of lying and misquoting Democrats.
Leavitt had characterized a video showing Democrat lawmakers telling military and service members they can 'refuse illegal orders'.
Leavitt told reporters several times that the lawmakers - all veterans - were urging the military to refuse 'lawful orders.'
After an exchange with reporters in which CBS Chief White House Correspondent Nancy Cordes argued otherwise, Leavitt called an end to the briefing only to be met with complaints from the press.
'Karoline, you misquoted Democrats in that video,' Collins said as Leavitt walked off.
'That's actually not what they said.'
In October, the two got into over a similar dispute when Trump threatened to deploy the National Guard to Portland.
Leavitt grew irate with Collins after she questioned what the president would do in response to a federal judge blocking his National Guard deployment to the Oregon city.
'I do think its important in that moment, especially when you're kind of the US contingent abroad, and we don't do things like they do in Saudi Arabia,' Collins said about Leavitt's actions on the podcast
Collins noted that the judge was one Trump appointed in his first term and that the deployment was blocked because the court found it was 'untethered to what was actually happening on the ground'.
'Which local officials in Portland have said that the National Guard is needed there, if any?' Collins asked.
Leavitt snapped back: 'With all due respect to that judge, I think her opinion is untethered in reality and in the law.
'We are appealing that decision, as you know, we expect a hearing on it pretty quickly, and we’re very confident in the president’s legal authority to do this, and we are very confident we will win on the merits of the law.'
The exchange heated up as Collins responded: 'But no local officials that you can point to that have said we need the National Guard?
'Because I spoke to the police chief of Portland last week, he said that the president’s claims just don’t match up with what’s happening on the ground.'
Leavitt appeared angry at Collins' line of questioning as she said she encouraged her 'as a reporter to go on the ground and to take a look at it for yourself'.
