CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins, the target of one of President Donald Trump’s Truth Social rants, has responded.
In a Truth Social post, Trump’s criticism began with misspelling her name, identifying her as “Caitlin Collin’s of Fake News CNN, always Stupid and Nasty.”
Trump apparently was angry at Collins asking about construction costs for the White House ballroom, according to Deadline.
“I said because it is going to be double the size, and the quality of finishes and interiors has been brought to the highest level. Also, the column SPAN has been substantially increased for purposes of viewing,” Trump wrote.
Trump said the project is “under budget and ahead of schedule, as my jobs always are,” adding “and seldom reported, there are no taxpayer dollars involved. It is being fully paid by private donations.”
According to The Hill, the White House announced in July that the ballroom, adjacent to the East Wing, would cost $200 million. Later, Trump said it would cost $300 million, then a White House said in late October the price was $350 million, according to ABC News.
Collins, anchor of The Source with Kaitlan Collins and an Alabama native, said her query had nothing to do with the ballroom.
“Technically my question was about Venezuela,” Collins wrote on her Instagram story, in reference to the administration’s bombing of alleged drug smuggling vessels off the coast of the Latin American country.
Collins had asked Trump about accepting FIFA’s peace prize at the same time as strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug boats.
On her Friday program, Collins did note that Trump had fired the architect overseeing the ballroom project.
“It comes as we know that the size and the cost of this ballroom have ballooned, though they still maintain all of it is being paid for with private donations,” Collins said.
It’s not the first time Trump has singled out Collins.
In January he said she asked “not a very smart question.” He also called her a “third rate, low ratings reporter” back in March, according to The Daily Beast.
Trump has also faced recent criticism for derogatory remarks about other reporters.
In November, Trump lashed out against a New York Times reporter over an article claiming the president is showing “signs of fatigue,” calling her a journalist “who is ugly, both inside and out.”
Days before that, Trump insulted Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey after she asked him whether there was any incriminating information on the president in the Epstein files.
“Quiet, quiet piggy,” Trump told Lucey after she asked the question on Air Force One.