CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins responded to President Donald Trump's criticism at the recent White House Correspondents' Association dinner, saying she was not surprised by the incident.
Collins, a White House correspondent, reflected on the dinner, which took place on Friday, during an appearance on The Daily Show with host Jon Stewart. During the high-profile event, Trump reiterated his complaints that she "never smiles," called an award she was given at the dinner for covering his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "fake," and compared her to Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer.
Collins told Stewart that she was not surprised by Trump's insults, saying that this type of behavior is common inside the Oval Office. She emphasized that the focus should be on her reporting and the questions she has asked, rather than her reaction to Trump's criticism.
"It's really not about me, and I don't want it to be about my reaction," Collins said. "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 where he is insulting me, or he is criticizing me, about the question I asked or the reporting I did that he was so angry about in this moment."
Collins noted that Trump has frequently targeted her since he took office, often commenting on her stoic demeanor while reporting. Trump has claimed that she has "hatred" because of various policy decisions, including the creation of borders, a strong military, and tax cuts.
When asked by Stewart if Trump bombed while telling his jokes in the room, Collins replied that what was most surprising to her was the silence in the room during the president's remarks. The audience was filled with Trump's staffers, Cabinet members, and allies, who were largely quiet during the event.
Stewart responded, "Do you think it's because of how much they respect him?" Collins quipped, "Who's to say?"
