“It’s really not about me”: Kaitlan Collins speaks out following Trump’s relentless attack on CNN journalist’s appearance 

Kaitlan Collins, the CNN journalist who had been at the receiving end of President Donald Trump's attacks on her looks, has spoken out now. Trump had compared the thirty-four-year-old anchor to trans actress Dylan Mulvaney and claimed that she needed to smile more. Collins addressed the situation on the July 27 episode of The Daily Show, making it clear where her head is at.

"I've always felt this, regardless of who's the president ... it's really not about me, and I don't want it to be about my reaction. If you let it become about that, then it becomes a back-and-forth between the two of us," she shared.

Collins, who has faced the brunt of Trump's comments more than once, was direct about the way she chooses to handle it. She isn't interested in trading barbs.

"Instead, I think it's more important to remind people in those moments when he is insulting me, he is criticizing me ... it's important to put the reminder back on the work, on the question, and on the non-answers that we get," she added.

Trump targets Kaitlan Collins at Washington event, questions her award and tells her to smile more:

As per a report shared by Us Weekly, Trump made his feelings about Collins known at the July 24 event, which was held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. The event had been moved to the new location following a security breach and shooting at the annual April fundraiser.

Kaitlan Collins had previously been awarded for her coverage of Trump's contentious Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That exchange had sparked fierce criticism of the president, particularly regarding his continued friendship with various world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. Trump, eighty years old, wasn't pleased about it.

"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," he said.

He wasn't done, though.

"But I don't mind, I said, 'Kaitlan, congratulations.' But it was fake, there's no question about it," Trump continued, before shifting his attention to Collins' appearance. "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."

Trump then drew a comparison between Kaitlan Collins and trans actress Dylan Mulvaney.

"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," he added.

From a silent room to a CNN statement, here is how the night unfolded after Trump went after Kaitlan Collins:

The Daily Show host Jon Stewart pointed out that the ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria was largely silent while Trump went after Collins at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Collins, who has covered Trump for a decade, shared that the quiet in the room was what caught her off guard the most.

"I've covered Trump for 10 years so I've listened to pretty much all of his speeches with very little exception. I actually think it's helpful for people to listen to [his speeches] in their entirety, which people really don't these days. In the room, I was not surprised when he insulted me," she said.

"That happens pretty regularly inside the Oval Office — this was just a bigger venue where it was happening. What was most surprising to me is that the room was filled with a lot of his staffers, his cabinet, his allies, Republicans in Congress. It was so quiet in the room during the president's remarks," she added.

CNN did not stay silent, though. The network issued a statement in support of their anchor shortly after. The written statement was shared by Us Weekly.

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"Kaitlan Collins is an exceptional, trusted journalist being honored tonight for her depth of knowledge and the context she provides to audiences all over the world," shared the spokesperson.

"She reports every day from the White House and the field with real strength and tenacity and skillfully brings that reporting to the anchor chair and CNN platforms every day. We stand by her to the fullest extent," added the spokesperson.

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