A coffee mug just became the most-discussed object on cable news. During the October 2 episode of The Source, a mug reading“America Needs Nasty Women”sat on Kaitlan Collins’desk, and viewers immediately connected the dots to President Trump’s recent attacks on her. The timing was hard to ignore.
For months, Trump has criticized the CNN anchor, calling her“very average”and“the most unhappy young person I’ve ever seen”in a TIME interview, and telling her at a UN event that she shouldn’t be there covering him. He also compared her to Dylan Mulvaney and said she needs to smile more. On top of that, CNN and other outlets were banned from the White House on September 18 before a federal judge ordered access restored.
Collins hasn’t confirmed the mug was intentional, and she’s said she wants the focus kept on her reporting rather than her reactions. That’s exactly why people are so into it. The phrase“nasty woman”traces back to 2016, and bringing it back as desk decor feels like a full-circle moment in the middle of a press freedom fight. What would the mug on your desk say?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.