Trump's WHCD Speech: A Catastrophic Flop, CNN Analysts Rip Him Apart
CNN analysts have unleashed a torrent of criticism on Donald Trump’s White House Correspondents' Dinner speech, with one declaring it an "objective bomb."
Trump delivered a lengthy address at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, but CNN's panel wasted no time dissecting the disaster. Anchor Laura Coates reacted immediately after the speech, stunned, exclaiming, "My, my! Was that the President of the United States?"
The panel defended Kaitlan Collins after Trump targeted her during the event. John Berman read a statement from the network praising Collins for her work after she received an award for her White House coverage.
"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," Berman stated. "We stand by her to the fullest extent."
Collins was recognized with the award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure. Trump congratulated her but quickly turned it into a jab at her reporting.
"I wanna personally congratulate CNN's Kaitlan Collins on receiving her award," Trump said. "It was all about me; it's a fake. She shouldn't get the award; it was a fake. But I didn't mind." He described Collins as a "young, attractive woman" but criticized her demeanor, saying, "Kaitlan, you ever smile? Smile! You have a nice position, you're at CNN fake news!"
Trump grimaced as Collins accepted her award, which included a $5,000 prize. He also criticized other CNN figures like Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper. Political commentator Van Jones, who had previously praised Trump for attending, expressed outrage over the President's jokes.
"The worst thing you can say is that it just wasn’t funny at all," Jones stated. “It was mean and small. He didn’t talk about any American besides himself and his enemies. There are people at home who can’t figure out how to pay for gas. He missed the entire opportunity to talk to those people.”
Alyssa Farah Griffin chimed in, stating, "Just from a performance standpoint and comparing it to previous presidents at these events, he bombed! He objectively bombed! There were missed opportunities." She criticized his low-quality jokes, saying, "At least make the punch line land.”
