CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins has hit back at President Donald Trump with a subtle jibe after the latter launched a personal attack on her during the White House Correspondents' Dinner (WHCD).
“I thought Kaitlan had really made it big with a major new sponsorship. But then I informed her that it wasn’t her on the Bud Light can, it was Dylan Mulvaney,” Trump said, referring to transgender actor Dylan Mulvaney and the 2023 Bud Light partnership.
While Trump's remarks sparked outrage, Collins herself threw a subtle jibe at the President via her Instagram post. Collins posted a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, which read “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
The post quickly went viral and was shared widely on X.
Katilan Collins' post sparks backlash
Collins' post was praised by some like Spencer Hakimian, who wrote “Kaitlan Collins claps back at Mango Mussolini,” referring to Trump. However, not everyone saw it in the same light.
{{/usCountry}}Collins' post was praised by some like Spencer Hakimian, who wrote “Kaitlan Collins claps back at Mango Mussolini,” referring to Trump. However, not everyone saw it in the same light.
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A profile going by Axl, claiming to be an American supremacist, criticized Collins' choice of quote. “Kaitlan Collins implies trans women are ‘inferior’ to biological women,” the individual wrote on X. Several people appeared to agree in the comments of the post.
One mentioned “outrageous, you're a real woman too Kaitlan. No need to be so self loathing.” Another said “I thought she was proud of the trans!! How could she feel inferior?”.
Yet another chipped in and said “Katilan Collins, inability to cope with roast, poor me over a joke that didn’t even land, has helped it not only land but go viral. That’s the Trump effect. TDS consumes their compass.”
What else Trump said about Kaitlin Collins
The Dylan Mulvaney joke was not the only remark Trump passed on Collins. After the CNN reporter got the award for her coverage of the Oval Office confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February 2025, Trump made his thoughts known.
“I want to personally congratulate CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on receiving her award. It was all about me. It’s a fake; she shouldn’t get the award, it was a fake. But I didn’t mind, I said, ‘Kaitlan, congratulations.’ But it was fake, there’s no question about it,” the Republican President said.
He further added “She’s a young, attractive woman. 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, Kaitlan, just smile.”