Donald Trump Criticizes Kaitlan Collins at White House Correspondents Dinner

President Donald Trump criticized CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins during the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., targeting her appearance and comparing her to trans actress Dylan Mulvaney. The July 24, event followed a security breach at the original April fundraiser.

White House Correspondents’ Dinner Remarks Target CNN Anchor

President Donald Trump took aim at frequent target Kaitlan Collins during the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Friday, July 24. The annual fundraiser was moved to the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., following a security breach and subsequent shooting at the original April event.

During the evening, Trump addressed Collins directly regarding an award she received for her reporting. According to the president, “I want to personally congratulate CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on receiving her award. It was all about me. It’s a fake — she shouldn’t get the award, it was a fake.”

Collins, 34, previously earned recognition for her coverage of a contentious Oval Office meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That exchange sparked intense scrutiny regarding the president’s diplomatic relationships with foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

Trump continued his remarks on stage, stating, “But I don’t mind, I said, ‘Kaitlan, congratulations.’ But it was fake, there’s no question about it.” The president then shifted focus to the anchor’s demeanor and appearance.

“She’s a young, attractive woman. She never smiles. I said, ‘Kaitlan, do you ever smile? Smile. You have a nice position, you’re at CNN fake news, you should be a happy person. So smile, Kaitlan, just smile,” Trump said.

Comparison to Dylan Mulvaney Draws Criticism

During the speech celebrating freedom of speech and the press, Trump made a remark referencing brand sponsorships and transgender visibility. “I thought Kaitlan 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,” he said.

This comparison to trans actress Dylan Mulvaney drew immediate backlash and was widely characterized as transphobic. The criticism stems from the administration’s ongoing policy positions targeting transgender athletes in women’s sports, as well as access to gender-affirming care for trans youth and adults. Us reached out to the White House for comment regarding the remarks.

Prior Public Criticisms and Legal Pressures on Media

The July remarks at the Waldorf Astoria marked the latest instance of the president publicly criticizing Collins’ appearance and professional demeanor. Earlier in July, during an Oval Office press conference, Trump addressed the journalist directly.

“She’s a young beautiful woman. Never smiles. I never see a smile off her face,” Trump said during the press conference. “I see her standing there with hatred in her eyes, like she has hatred, because we had borders, because we have a strong military, because we cut our taxes, because we do things that everybody wanted, and then we win our election in a massive landslide.”

The president expanded his critique to major news organizations during the same appearance, adding, “People like you have abused our people so badly. The fake news, like CNN, like The New York Times, and like others, have abused our people, have abused our people so badly.”

The tension between the administration and major news outlets has played out in legal arenas as well. Two days after The New York Times published reports detailing security concerns surrounding the president’s new Air Force One jet gifted to him by Turkey, the Department of Justice filed subpoenas against three journalists to compel them to reveal their sources.

Following sharp criticism from a federal judge who indicated the actions potentially violated First Amendment protections, the Department of Justice dropped the subpoenas on Thursday, July 23, acknowledging in filings covered by the Associated Press that the administration had made legal errors.