Trans TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney has responded to President Donald Trump’s remarks about her during his speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Mulvaney stated that being publicly mocked and criticized by the administration is “the greatest compliment of all.”
Trump name-dropped Mulvaney during a joke involving CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins. He suggested Collins should “smile” more and quipped that he initially thought she had landed a major sponsorship, only to realize it was Mulvaney, not Collins, on the Bud Light can. Trump also claimed that the partnership cost Bud Light’s parent company “$35 billion in market cap,” a figure that differs from some estimates.
Following Trump’s remarks, which included sharing an edited image placing Collins's head on Mulvaney's body, Mulvaney posted a video addressing the situation. She began by congratulating Collins on winning a White House Correspondents’ Association award, expressing honor at being compared to her.
Mulvaney then turned her attention to conservatives who have continued to discuss her, saying, “It seems to me that I might be like ‘the one that got away’ for these men, like I am permanently burned into their retinas, I am microchipped into their minds.” She questioned why it is important for the administration that she not find success.
She answered her own question, suggesting, “They don’t want me to be able to share that because it would mean young people realizing that if someone like me can be themselves and find success and freedom, then they can find success and freedom for themselves, too.”
Mulvaney concluded by thanking the president for reminding her of her own power and called on her followers to support trans and nonbinary individuals.
Mulvaney's 2023 partnership with Bud Light led to a right-wing boycott against the beer brand and brought her significant public attention.