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By Anna Commander
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CNN anchor and chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins spoke about her reaction to President Donald Trump's insults at and after the White House Correspondents Dinner on Friday, where she won an award, saying in part, "It's really not about me."
In a preview clip of an interview with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show that aired Monday night, Collins said, "I don't want it to be about my reaction. And so, I think if you let it become about that, then it becomes a back and forth between the two of us. And instead, I think it's more effective to remind people in those moments when he is insulting me or when he is criticizing me, about the question I asked or the reporting that I did that he was so angry about in this moment and the fact that I got an award for it really bothered him, clearly. And so, I just think 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."
Collins also said that throughout the president's remarks Friday night, the room was "so quiet." She noted that the room was largely filled with his allies, Republicans, and staffers.
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Newsweek reached out to the White House via email Monday night for comment.
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At the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Trump singled out Collins during his remarks, saying that she "never smiles" while he addressed the audience. The quip marked the latest chapter in Trump's long-running criticism of Collins, who has frequently drawn his ire over her White House coverage and questioning during press briefings. The president also called the award Collins won "fake" but said he congratulated her.
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He appeared to follow up that public dig with another swipe on Truth Social, sharing an AI-generated image that digitally altered a Bud Light ad featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney by replacing Mulvaney's face with Collins'. The manipulated image was one of several AI-generated posts Trump shared, highlighting his continued focus on the CNN journalist after her remarks at the correspondents' dinner.
"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," a CNN spokesperson said in a statement. "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."
The latest exchange also fits into a broader pattern of Trump's public confrontations with female journalists. Collins has repeatedly been the target of the president's criticism, as he has called her the "worst reporter," while other reporters—including ABC News' Mary Bruce, Bloomberg's Catherine Lucey, and CBS News' Nancy Cordes—have also faced personal rebukes after pressing Trump with challenging questions on a range of issues.
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During Monday's interview with Stewart, Collins said in part that "there are moments where reporters, not just myself, ask questions that don't get good answers."
This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.
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Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas
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