Kaitlan Collins Wins WHCA Award, Then Gets Roasted By Trump
Alabama native, UA graduate and Chief CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins was awarded the 2026 White House Correspondent Association (WHCA) recognition for her coverage of President Trump's controversial 2025 meeting with Ukraine President Volodymmr Zelensky at the White House. But it didn't come without a jab from the event's guest speaker, Donald Trump.
The 2014 UA grad in political science and journalism has been a continual target of the president since he took office for his second term.
The WHCA resumed its annual dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington D.C. last night after it was called off in April due to an abortive assassination attempt on the president and several members of his administration at the Washington Hilton.
During his rambling, insult filled, hour-long address Trump confronted several news personalities but saved his most acidic comments for his favorite target with a backhanded congratulations.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had promised. some of her bosses' remarks would be “vicious,” and he lived up to her promise.
Trump told the 2,000 in attendance that her reporting was all about him, "It's a fake. She shouldn't get the award. It was a fake, but I didn't mind," he said looking straight at his target.
Trump then returned to his favorite complaint about the 34-year-old journalist and prime time news talk show host. "She never smiles. 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, Kailan. Just smile."
Trump then wrapped up his insults, saying he initially thought the picture of transgendered Dylan Mulvaney on a 2023 Budweiser promotion was Collins.
Camera cutaways revealed attendees were not watching Trump as he addressed Collins. Most were looking at her reaction as she appeared stern, composed, and stared directly at the chief executive as he addressed her.
CNN came to Collins' and other of the network's reporters defense with a reaction on X (formerly Twitter) from CEO Mark Thompson., "“We stand by our journalists and the integrity and fairmindedness with which the CNN team reports the news. Honest, accurate journalism may sometimes irritate politicians, but our right to report and present that reporting to the public without government interference is fully protected by the US Constitution. CNN will continue to exercise this right.”
Last night's appearance was President Trump's first at the WHCA's annual dinner during either of his terms in office.
More From Tuscaloosa Thread
