Fact Check: Did Trump refuse to clap as Kaitlan Collins received an award at the WHCD?
WASHINGTON, DC: A viral social media post claims that President Donald Trump refused to clap as CNN's Kaitlan Collins received an award at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner, prompting widespread discussion online.
The claim emerged after the rescheduled event, where Collins was honored for her presidential coverage, and Trump attended the dinner for the first time during his presidency. Did Trump deliberately snub Collins during the award presentation? Let's fact-check the claim.
Claim: Trump refused to clap as CNN's Kaitlan Collins received WHCA Award for Excellence
🚨JUST NOW: CNN’s Kaitlan Collins is given an award at the White House Correspondents Dinner right in front of Trump!
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) July 25, 2026
He didn’t clap, yet she walked right over to him to shake his hand.
Kaitlan Collins is a class act and she deserves the award. https://t.co/vTXEheAAti pic.twitter.com/G3Hqbfd7hq
The X post shared CNN's Kaitlan Collins receiving the White House Correspondents' Association Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure at the rescheduled 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner.
The post praised Collins for approaching Trump to shake his hand after accepting the award, despite claiming that he did not applaud during the presentation.
The user wrote, "CNN's Kaitlan Collins is given an award at the White House Correspondents Dinner right in front of Trump! He didn't clap, yet she walked right over to him to shake his hand. Kaitlan Collins is a class act, and she deserves the award."
The video shows CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer presenting the award to Collins on stage. After accepting the honor, Collins walks to Trump's table, smiles, and extends her hand.
Fact Check: The post is misleading
The claim is misleading. Indeed, President Donald Trump did not applaud as CNN's Kaitlan Collins accepted the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure.
However, his lack of applause alone does not prove that he deliberately refused to applaud her. The video also shows Collins approaching Trump's table to shake his hand, and Trump responds by shaking her hand and offering a restrained smile.
President Trump at the WHCA dinner:
— Tabz (@TabzLIVE) July 25, 2026
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. But I didn't mind. I said, "Kaitlin, congratulations." But it was fake. There's no… pic.twitter.com/FonyxRG4pm
Although Trump did not clap during the award presentation, he later addressed Collins in his speech rather than ignoring her entirely. He mocked her by describing her award as "fake" and joked that she should "smile," continuing a pattern of public criticism he has directed at the CNN correspondent over the years.
Trump and Collins have had a long-running adversarial relationship. Throughout his campaigns and presidencies, Trump has repeatedly criticized Collins' reporting, singled her out by name at rallies and press events, and mocked her during public appearances.
Collins, who has covered Trump extensively as CNN's White House correspondent, has continued to question the president aggressively while maintaining a professional demeanor during briefings, interviews, and public events.
