Donald Trump used his platform at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to deliver a series of homophobic and transphobic jabs aimed at prominent journalists. During the Friday night event, the president specifically targeted CNN anchor Anderson Cooper’s sexuality, referring to him as having a “different persuasion” to scattered laughter from the audience, as Molly Sprayregen reported for LGBTQ Nation. Cooper has been a frequent critic of Trump, regularly holding him accountable on air for his financial claims and public outbursts.
The speech did not stop at Cooper. Trump also directed his rhetoric at other media figures, including a bizarre comparison involving trans activist Dylan Mulvaney and CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins, whom he also instructed to smile more while calling her journalism award “fake.” Additionally, he repeated past insults against out journalist Don Lemon, claiming he had the “lowest IQ” on television, a remark Lemon has previously condemned as rooted in racist tropes.
To read the full breakdown of the speech, the history of tension between these journalists and the president, and broader reactions to the remarks, check out the complete original reporting.
Find the full story by Molly Sprayregen at https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/07/donald-makes-gay-joke-about-anderson-cooper-to-scattered-laughter-at-whcd/
