Kaitlan Collins pushes back after Trump rants about her White House ballroom question
WASHINGTON, DC: CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins issued a pointed six-word response after President Trump targeted her in a Truth Social post over her question about the White House ballroom.
The exchange unfolded after Trump criticized Collins for what he claimed were inquiries about the project’s rising costs. Collins addressed his attack on Instagram, sharing a screenshot of the president’s remarks and adding her rebuttal.
Kaitlan Collins response to Donald Trump's remarks
Collins responded to Trump after he went after her earlier that morning. While posting a screenshot of his message, she wrote, “Technically my question was about Venezuela.”
Her remark came after Trump described her as “stupid and nasty,” misspelling her name as he complained about the line of questioning.
Nicolas Maduro addressed reporters during a press conference in Caracas in 2020(Carolina Cabral/Getty Images)In his post, Trump wrote, “Caitlin Collin’s of Fake News CNN, always Stupid and Nasty, asked me why the new Ballroom was costing more money than originally thought one year ago.” Collins maintained that her question had focused on Venezuela, though Trump insisted she had pressed him about the ballroom’s budget increase.
She also referenced the moment on her CNN program, The Source with Kaitlan Collins, where she pointed out the large crane on the White House construction site. “You see that giant crane that is over my shoulder? That’s the latest addition to the construction zone here at the White House, where President Trump’s ballroom is going to go eventually,” she explained.
Donald Trump defense of White House ballroom project
In his post, Trump defended the increased cost of the new White House ballroom. He stated that the project is more expensive because it “is going to be double the size,” adding that “the quality of finishes and interiors has been brought to the highest level.”
Trump asserted that the construction is “actually under budget and ahead of schedule,” adding, “As my jobs always are.” He emphasized that the ballroom is “much bigger and more beautiful than originally planned.”
According to Trump, the ballroom is being privately funded for $300 million, up from the project’s earlier estimated cost of $200 million. He said that 37 donors — including major tech companies such as Amazon and Google, as well as cryptocurrency industry figures — are contributing to the funding.
Trump criticized CNN for not acknowledging the private-funding aspect, writing, “FAKE NEWS CNN, and the guy who runs the whole corrupt operation that owns it, is one of the worst in the business.” He added that the network’s ratings were “so low that they’re not even counted or relevant anymore,” closing with “MAGA!!!”
Behind the scenes, the project has faced disputes between Trump and architect James McCrery II. The Washington Post reported that disagreements centered on Trump’s desire to expand the ballroom’s size. McCrery’s firm allegedly missed deadlines and struggled with limited staffing, adding to the tension.
The ballroom is described in official announcements as 90,000 square feet, significantly larger than the 55,000-square-foot White House residence section. Though McCrery is no longer involved, sources say he and Trump remain on good terms.
