CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins has responded to Donald Trump's pointed insults directed at her during his address at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, telling Jon Stewart on The Daily Show that she prefers not to make the exchange about herself. Her comments matter because they offer a rare on-record reaction from a journalist singled out by the president, and highlight the tension between the press and the White House over how such attacks should be handled publicly.

During his hour-long speech at Friday's dinner, Trump criticised Collins and other journalists so sharply that CNN issued a statement defending its reporters while he was still speaking, even though Collins had received an award from the White House Correspondents' Association earlier that evening. Collins told Stewart she has covered Trump for ten years and was not surprised by the insults, noting they occur regularly inside the Oval Office, but she was struck by how silent the room stayed even though it was full of his staffers, cabinet members and Republican allies.