CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins has responded to remarks made by former President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, stating that his criticism suggested her success had “really bothered” him. Trump, during his speech at the dinner, compared Collins to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney and shared images that superimposed her face onto Mulvaney's likeness.
Collins, speaking on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, suggested that Trump's personal remarks indicated he was unsettled by her receiving an award at the event for her coverage of him. “The fact that I got an award for it really bothered him clearly,” Collins said. She added, “And so I just think in those moments, it's important to put the reminder back on the work, and the question and the non-answers we get.”
During his address, Trump commented on Collins's award, calling it “fake” and suggesting she should not have received it. He also reiterated a past criticism that Collins does not smile, urging her to do so. Later, on his Truth Social platform, Trump amplified the comparison to Mulvaney, who gained notoriety in 2023 for a Bud Light marketing campaign that sparked conservative backlash.
Collins noted that Trump's criticisms of her questions and reporting are common during their interactions, including in Oval Office press conferences. She observed that the audience reaction at the dinner appeared subdued during Trump's remarks, suggesting the jokes did not resonate widely. "It was so quiet in the room during the president's remarks," she recalled.
Collins stated that she does not want the situation to devolve into a personal exchange. "It's not really about me and I don't want it to be about my reaction. I think if you let it become about that, then it becomes a back-and-forth between the two of us," she explained.
CNN defended Collins following Trump's comments, issuing a statement that praised her as an