Donald Trump says his mistook CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins for trans influencer in brutal jibe at WHCD
Donald Trump drew attention at the White House Correspondents' Dinner after making a joke that compared CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Trump and Collins have repeatedly clashed during Oval Office press briefings, and the remark was one of several jabs he directed at her during his speech on Friday night, underlining his continued combative relationship with the broadcaster.
In the joke, Trump said he had believed Collins had landed "a major new sponsorship" before realising the person featured was Mulvaney rather than Collins, referencing Mulvaney's 2023 Bud Light promotional campaign. That campaign, which coincided with Mulvaney marking her first full year of transitioning, triggered a significant sales slump for the brand after it sparked a conservative-led boycott.
- Trump joked at WHCD, comparing Kaitlan Collins to Dylan Mulvaney
- Reference recalled Mulvaney's controversial 2023 Bud Light campaign
- Trump and Collins have a history of public sparring matches
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters may argue that the Correspondents’ Dinner is a satirical political event where public figures and journalists alike expect pointed humour, and that Trump is entitled to use it to criticise a broadcaster he sees as hostile. They may view the remark as part of a deliberately provocative comic style intended to challenge media deference and energise voters who feel elite institutions are insulated from ridicule.
The case against
Critics may argue that comparing a journalist to a transgender person as an insult is needlessly personal and risks treating transgender identity as a punchline. They may contend that political satire is strongest when it addresses conduct, power or policy, rather than an individual’s appearance or identity, and that such remarks further damage the possibility of respectful relations between public officials and the press.