NCS’s Kaitlan Collins and President Donald Trump appeared to bury the hatchet for one evening at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The occasion is formally underway at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington D.C. after being rescheduled from final April. The unique dinner was interrupted by an alleged assassination try towards Trump, who returned for the second go at the occasion.
The dinner acknowledges journalists in the White House Correspondents’ Association who’ve produced glorious work all through the 12 months. Collins received the Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure — Broadcast for her reporting on the Trump administration’s assembly with Ukrainian President Zelensky in February 2025, which resulted in a screaming match between the two leaders.
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The prize features a $5,000 reward. She beforehand stated of successful, “I am being honored with an award for excellence in presidential news coverage under deadline pressure for broadcast news. This is an award that recognizes our entire team’s coverage of that infamous Oval Office meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky.”
Collins and Trump have had a contentious relationship in the past. While taking questions from reporters in June, Trump told her she has “hatred in her eyes” and is a “corrupt reporter.”
“But with a corrupt reporter standing right there, never smiles,” he said at the time. “You never see a young, beautiful woman who never smiles. I never see a smile on her face. I see her standing there with hatred in her eyes.”
Despite their tense relationship, the duo did the unthinkable at the dinner: shook hands while he put a hand on her shoulder to congratulate her.
First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not be in attendance. A White House spokesperson said the first lady’s absence has to do with prior commitments.
The dinner tonight is a “more intimate gathering,” according to Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA).
Kaitlan Collins and Donald Trump shook arms at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner -Credit:C-SPAN
“This dinner will not only be an opportunity to carry out our program. It will be a statement that violence has no place in American life and a free press will not be intimidated into silence. As you have all demonstrated, courage and community can and should rise above,” Jiang stated in an announcement.
The man accused of opening hearth throughout the first dinner is Cole Tomas Allen. He has pleaded not responsible to a number of federal fees, together with tried assassination of the president, assaulting a federal regulation enforcement officer, and firearms offenses.
Allen might face life in jail if convicted on the most severe fees.