Overview
- On Dec. 6, President Donald Trump used Truth Social to call CNN’s Kaitlan Collins “stupid and nasty,” misspelled her name, and railed against CNN as he defended his ballroom project.
- Trump claimed the venue will be double the size, is under budget and ahead of schedule, and is fully funded by private donations, assertions not independently corroborated in the coverage cited.
- Collins responded that her most recent question to Trump concerned Venezuela at the Kennedy Center event, not the ballroom, highlighting a conflation in his post.
- CNN colleagues, including Jake Tapper, publicly defended Collins and noted that questions about the White House construction project are legitimate.
- Reporting continues to highlight rising cost estimates from about $200 million to roughly $300–$350 million, the replacement of the lead architect after clashes, and October demolition of the East Wing, drawing oversight and preservation concerns.