Donald Trump’s WHCD Speech Sparks Widespread Backlash Over LGBTQ and Nicki Minaj Jokes
President Donald Trump delivered an hour‑long address at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner on July 24 2026, held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. In the speech he mocked CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, urging her to smile and likening her to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, and he launched personal attacks on LGBTQ journalists Anderson Cooper, Don Lemon and Dylan Mulvaney. He also referenced the shooting at the April dinner, quipping that the gunshots caused Nicki Minaj to start twerking. Trump mentioned a planned “drone port” on the White House roof and made other partisan jabs.
The remarks drew little laughter and provoked a wave of criticism. Jon Stewart of The Daily Show roasted the jokes as unfunny and out of touch, while Seth Meyers suggested that Mitch McConnell would have received a better crowd response. Media commentators called for a re‑evaluation of the dinner’s purpose, and the president’s doctored image comparing Collins to Mulvaney sparked further backlash.
Entities: Anderson Cooper · Don Lemon · Donald Trump · Dylan Mulvaney · Kaitlan Collins · Nicki Minaj · White House Correspondents' Association · White House Correspondents' Dinner · White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 17 SOURCES] Donald Trump delivered a speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on July 24 2026. (clm_15f1815c-f4fa-4e61-9d3c-236813429e7e)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Donald Trump insulted LGBTQ journalists Anderson Cooper, Don Lemon and Dylan Mulvaney during his speech. (clm_dbd0dcab-6b87-4560-b7d6-9e8193dd5c14)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Trump called Don Lemon “the dumbest man on television.” (Donald Trump)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Donald Trump announced plans for a “drone port” on the White House roof. (clm_97bf013b-4112-4017-83d7-210f9a0978c0)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Media figures, including New York Times White House correspondent Peter Baker, called for rethinking the dinner, saying it did not advance press freedom. (c215b444-21e8-4075-a256-0a84043a2710)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Donald Trump compared CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. (clm_e0d3fb6a-0365-457c-be2e-2adbc2f72216)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Trump made an apparent allusion to Anderson Cooper’s sexual orientation by saying he has a “different persuasion.” (c35dd055-14aa-48fc-a876-1e93fc040e24, cf01a260-77bd-4eb1-8258-961728127725)
- [● 17 SOURCES] The dinner was held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. (clm_23c10912-4554-43a7-8f0e-c69cbf42d8c0)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Donald Trump delivered a speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on July 24, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (c35dd055-14aa-48fc-a876-1e93fc040e24, cf01a260-77bd-4eb1-8258-961728127725, c215b444-21e8-4075-a256-0a84043a2710)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Trump made an apparent antigay allusion about Anderson Cooper, saying he has a “different persuasion.” (Donald Trump)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Donald Trump made remarks targeting LGBTQ+ journalists, specifically Anderson Cooper, Don Lemon, and Dylan Mulvaney. (c35dd055-14aa-48fc-a876-1e93fc040e24, cf01a260-77bd-4eb1-8258-961728127725)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The speech resembled a political rally more than a traditional correspondents’ dinner and received little laughter.