In a striking move, CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins fired back subtly at former President Donald Trump’s jabs made during the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Taking to her Instagram Story on July 25, Collins, 34, posted a timeless quote from the former first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” The sharing of this empowering excerpt seemed to resonate decisively after Trump’s remarks.
This was in response to the former president’s sharp critiques at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington, D.C., on July 24. Just under a day earlier, Trump, 80, had drawn Collins into his controversial comments.
During the event, Trump made a pointed joke, acknowledging Collins’s upcoming honor. She was slated for recognition due to her exceptional work covering his intense Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump, no stranger to public spats with the media, had previously criticized Collins during a June 3 Oval Office press conference. At that time, he disparaged CNN as “a very corrupt organization” and personally called Collins “a corrupt […],” taking aim at her right in front of the gathered press.
“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,” he insisted. “But I don’t mind, I said, ‘Kaitlan, congratulations.’ But it was fake, there’s no question about it.”
Trump then compared Collins to trans actress and activist Dylan Mulvaney, whose 2023 advertising campaign with Bud Light was condemned by right-wing politicians and influencers. The president’s remarks have been widely condemned as transphobic.
“[Collins is] a young, attractive woman. She never smiles,” Trump said. “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.”
He then quipped, “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.”
On Saturday, Mulvaney, 29, seemingly responded to the outrage over Trump’s tirade by re-sharing Collins’ Eleanor Roosevelt quote via her own Instagram Story.
CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins Getty Images/Mandel NGAN / AFP
For her part, Collins also posted a strong statement of support from her employers at CNN.
“Kaitlan Collins is an exceptional, trusted journalist being honored tonight for her depth of knowledge and the context she provides to audiences all over the world,” the network said. “She reports every day from the White House and the field with real strength and tenacity and skillfully brings that reporting to the anchor chair and CNN platforms every day. We stand by her to the fullest extent.”
Friday’s White House Correspondents Dinner was rescheduled and moved to the Waldorf Astoria hotel after the original ceremony was interrupted by gunfire outside the main ballroom of the Washington Hilton on April 25. Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and other administration officials were rushed out of the ballroom as a safety precaution.
Shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen was captured alive by the Secret Service and later charged with one count of attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, per the Justice Department.
Allen, 31, pleaded not guilty to the federal charges during a hearing in Washington D.C. on May 11.