CNN chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins has responded to President Donald Trump’s remarks about her during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD), saying she was “not surprised” by the personal attacks. Speaking on The Daily Show, Collins said Trump’s criticism reflected interactions she has experienced while covering him for nearly a decade.
During Friday’s rescheduled WHCD, Trump singled out Collins while criticizing CNN and several journalists. He joked that she should “smile more” and compared her to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
The president also questioned an award Collins received for her reporting, claiming it was based on “fake” coverage.
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‘I was not surprised,’ says Kaitlan Collins
Collins stated that she was not caught off guard by Trump’s comments when she appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. “I was not surprised when he insulted me. That happens pretty regularly inside the Oval Office. This is just a bigger venue where it was happening,” Collins said.
She noted that she has covered Trump for nearly 10 years and has listened to almost every public speech he has delivered during that period.
Collins also remarked that she found the audience’s reaction notable.
“I was struck by how quiet the room was,” she said, referring to the venue, which included many of Trump’s allies and advisers.
The CNN journalist stressed that she does not tailor her reporting to any political audience. “I want anyone, from my family in Alabama to people in the White House, to hear that answer or hear that question and think, ‘What is the answer to that?’”
Collins also said she does not want such moments to become personal battles with the president. She added, “It’s really not about me, and I don’t want it to be about my reaction. … In those moments it’s important to put the reminder back on the work, on the question, and on the non-answers that we get.”
When Stewart joked that Trump’s advice amounted to telling her to “smile more,” Collins smiled directly at the camera as the audience on the show erupted into a wave of applause.
‘I’m incredibly honored to be compared to her in any way’
Trump’s WHCD remarks also drew a response from transgender advocate Dylan Mulvaney, whom the president referenced while mocking Collins.
Trump amplified his comparison of the two women on Sunday morning by sharing a picture of Mulvaney from her Bud Light commercial that had been altered to feature Collins’ face on Mulvaney’s body.
In a 4-minute video posted after the dinner, Mulvaney congratulated Collins on her journalism award before addressing Trump’s comparison. “I would like to tell her that I’m incredibly honored to be compared to her in any way, and I hope that she keeps doing all the great work,” Mulvaney said.
She added that repeated references to her by Trump reflected more about his fixation than about her, saying she now views such criticism as a compliment rather than an insult. She said, “And lastly, to the president, thank you for reminding me that I am more powerful than I even knew.”
“She is THE QUEEN!!!”
Clips from Collins’ interview quickly spread across X, where users praised her measured response to Trump’s remarks.
Several users applauded Collins’ composure.
One user wrote, “Kaitlan is so wise beyond her years. She is living rent free in Trump’s pea brain head, and I love it.”
Another user posted, “She is THE QUEEN!!!”
A separate post praised Collins’ work while also expressing political opinions about the future of Democratic leadership. The commenter wrote, “Kaitlan is WONDERFUL and I agree with her completely that reporters supported Hillary Clinton and hate everything Trump does! Kaitlan will be a fantastic press secretary for AOC when she wins the presidency!”
Trump’s appearance at this year’s WHCD marked his first attendance at the event. His hour-long speech included attacks on multiple journalists, media organizations and political opponents, which became the major talking point of the event.
