Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney responded to a joke made by former President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) Dinner, where Trump compared Mulvaney to CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins. The remark, referencing Mulvaney's controversial Bud Light partnership, resurfaced and drew a reaction from the influencer on TikTok.
In a TikTok post on Sunday, Mulvaney stated, "Maybe being publicly mocked and criticized by this administration is actually like the greatest compliment of all. Because it puts me in the company of some of the most brilliant, empathetic people in our world today." Mulvaney added, "To the president, thank you for reminding me that I am more powerful than I even knew." Mulvaney also quoted artist Shea Diamond, saying, "I am America."
Trump made the comparison during his remarks at the WHCA Dinner, stating, "I thought Kaitlan Collins had really made it big with a major new sponsorship, but then I informed her that it wasn't her on the Bud Light can, it was Dylan Mulvaney." The joke alluded to Bud Light's 2023 partnership with Mulvaney for a March Madness promotion, which led to significant backlash and a boycott.
Trump also directed comments at Collins herself during his speech, referring to her reporting on a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump as a "fake" award winner, and commented on her demeanor.
Collins appeared to address the jokes in an Instagram post featuring a quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
CNN's public relations team issued a statement on X supporting Collins and the network's journalists, asserting, "Honest, accurate journalism may sometimes irritate politicians, but our right to report and present that reporting to the public without government interference is fully protected by the U.S. Constitution. CNN will continue to exercise this right."