Story perspectives

Trump slams CNN reporter at first White House dinner

7/25/2026

Summary

Trump Slams Collins

U.S. President Donald Trump, at his first dinner since 2015, publicly attacked CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins.
President Trump mocked Collins, a $5,000 Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure award winner, as a “young, attractive woman” who “never smiles,” likening her to influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller attended, with about 700 guests present.

Summary

Gonzales Earns Award

The dinner moved to Waldorf Astoria, a smaller venue than Washington Hilton.
Security installed a entrance, double ID checks, a detection dog and armed guards.
Secret Service Officer Victor Gonzales earned the President’s Award for confronting the gunman.
WHCA president Weijia Jiang reported attendance fell to about 700, one-quarter of the prior crowd.
More than 500 veteran journalists signed a letter urging the WHCA to condemn the administration’s press attacks.

Summary

Trump Attacks Collins

Cole Tomas Allen tried to breach a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton with guns and knives, sparking a gunfire exchange.
Agents subdued Allen after the exchange.
The White House discussed a “slush fund” that critics say could pay Jan 6 rioters who served prison time for assaulting police officers.
President Donald Trump accused CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins of false reporting and hatred over his border, military, and tax policies.

History

Historical Context

In June 1971 the Nixon administration sought a prior-restraint injunction against the New York Times and Washington Post over the 7,000-page Pentagon Papers, but the Supreme Court’s 6-2 decision upheld press freedom. Decades later, President Donald Trump’s public attacks on CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins echo Nixon’s executive pressure on the media, reviving concerns that such assaults threaten democratic accountability.

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Trump Slams Collins

U.S. President Donald Trump, at his first dinner since 2015, publicly attacked CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins.
President Trump mocked Collins, a $5,000 Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure award winner, as a “young, attractive woman” who “never smiles,” likening her to influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller attended, with about 700 guests present.

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