‘It’s not about me’: CNN’s Kaitlan Collins responds after Donald Trump calls her journalism award ‘fake’

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins has responded to US President Donald Trump after he dismissed her journalism award as “fake” during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, saying she would rather keep the focus on her reporting than engage in personal back-and-forth.

Collins addressed Trump’s remarks during an appearance on The Daily Show with comedian and host Jon Stewart, where she spoke about handling repeated criticism from the President.

Trump congratulates Collins, then calls award ‘fake’

During his speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Friday, Trump acknowledged Collins for receiving the Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure for her reporting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 2025 visit to the Oval Office.

While congratulating the CNN journalist, Trump also questioned the legitimacy of the honour.

“I want to personally congratulate CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on receiving her award. It was all about me. It was a fake… she shouldn’t get the award,” Trump said, before repeating his claim that the recognition was “fake.”

The award recognised Collins’ deadline reporting during a high-profile meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy that drew international attention.

‘I don’t want it to become about me’

Appearing on The Daily Show, Collins said she deliberately avoids making Trump’s personal criticism the centre of attention.

“It’s not really about me and I don’t want it to be about my reaction,” she told Stewart.

“I think if you let it become about that, then it becomes a back-and-forth between the two of us.”

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Instead, Collins said she believes it is more important to focus on journalism and the questions being asked during presidential interactions.

“When he is insulting me or criticizing the reporting, it’s important to bring the conversation back to the work, the questions we asked, and the answers—or non-answers—we received,” she said.

Collins also suggested Trump’s comments indicated that the recognition had clearly caught his attention.

“The fact that I got an award for it really bothered him,” she remarked.

History of public criticism

Trump has publicly criticised Collins on several occasions in recent years, questioning her reporting style and making personal remarks about her appearance and demeanour.

His exchanges with journalists have frequently generated headlines, particularly during press conferences and media events.

Over the years, Trump has also had public confrontations with several other high-profile media personalities, including Megyn Kelly and Mika Brzezinski, often criticising their reporting as well as making personal remarks.

Debate over media and political rhetoric

Trump’s latest comments have once again sparked discussion about the relationship between political leaders and the press in the United States.

Supporters argue that the President is responding to what he considers unfair media coverage, while critics contend that personal attacks on journalists risk shifting attention away from substantive reporting and public accountability.

Collins, however, made it clear that her priority remains reporting the news rather than responding to personal criticism, saying she intends to let her journalism speak for itself.