Trump mocks CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins at White House event

President Donald Trump used his speech at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on July 24, 2026, to launch a personal attack on CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, mocking her award, telling her to smile, and comparing her to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The event, held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., was a rescheduled gathering after a security incident involving a gunman forced the cancellation of the original dinner in April.

Collins was at the dinner to accept the WHCA's Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure for her reporting on a February 2025 meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Approximately ten minutes into his address, Trump sarcastically congratulated Collins but dismissed her award as "fake" and "all about me." He then focused on her demeanor, describing her as a "young, attractive woman" who "never smiles," and repeatedly instructed her to smile during his remarks.

The speech took a more controversial turn when Trump joked that he initially thought Collins had secured a major sponsorship, only to inform her "that it wasn't her on the Bud Light can, it was Dylan Mulvaney."...