Washington DC - President Donald Trump on Wednesday attacked CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins for pressing him on his recent decision to waive sanctions against Russia.

As Trump was preparing to travel to South Carolina to support Darlene Graham, who is vying for her late brother Lindsey Graham's Senate seat, the president stopped to take questions from the press.

At one point, Collins pressed Trump on why he signed an executive order waiving the sanctions last Friday in spite of Graham's push for them before his untimely passing in July.

Trump attempted to evade the question, claiming he could not have secured the recent release of Stephen Hubbard, an American who has been captive in Russia since 2004, without doing so.

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When Collins pressed him on his claim that he didn't give anything for Hubbard's release, Trump got defensive.

"You don't know anything! You're fake news CNN!" he whined.

"You're saying you lifted the sanctions in exchange for his release?" Collins asked.

"You don't know what you're talking about! You're a low IQ person! You're a dummy!" the president lashed out.

The incident comes as Trump and his administration face criticism from both sides of the aisle for apparently trying to appease Vladimir Putin, even as Russia continues its years-long invasion of Ukraine.

In his second term, Trump has also waged an aggressive war against media outlets that have shared unfavorable coverage of him. In particular, the president has made a habit of attacking female journalists by insulting their looks and intelligence.

In an interview last week, Trump insisted that as a "very good deal maker," he doesn't "go around mocking people" and claimed Russia's war with Ukraine was caused by Joe Biden "mocking Russia."