After President Donald Trump derided (and misspelled the name of) CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins, the reporter shot back with a response.
In the rant posted to Truth Social, in which he called “Caitlin Collin’s of Fake News CNN, always Stupid and Nasty,” the POTUS took umbrage with the journalist’s question about the White House ballroom construction and why its cost has ballooned. He defended the build, which has seen backlash for months, given that he is planning a “much bigger and more beautiful” structure that is “double the size, and the quality of finishes and interiors has been brought to the highest level.”
The GOP leader went on to claim that it is “under budget and ahead of schedule, as my jobs always are” and reiterated that “interestingly, and seldom reported, there are no taxpayer dollars involved. It is being fully paid by private donations.”
Trump concluded the post with another jab at CNN.
In a response on her Instagram Story, Collins wrote, “Technically my question was about Venezuela,” in reference to the administration’s bombing of vessels off the coast of the Latin American country it is saying are part of drug trafficking operations.
Venezuelan president-turned-dictator Nicolás Maduro has said the real reason for the U.S. military actions is the country’s oil reserves, considered the largest in the world. The state department has denied that claim, insisting the Caribbean boat strikes, which have killed over 80 people, are part of a campaign to stop the import of cocaine and fentanyl into the U.S.
Trump may have been responding to something Collins said on The Source with Kaitlan Collins on Friday night, but the CNN anchor also was on the red carpet at the Kennedy Center earlier in the day, when he was attending the FIFA World Cup Draw. There, Collins asked Trump about accepting FIFA’s new peace prize at the same time that the administration has been carrying out the strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats.
Collins is only the latest female reporter whom Trump has singled out for attack. Back in November, Trump made headlines for telling Bloomberg News’ Catherine Lucey “quiet piggy,” an action defended by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt as “very frank and honest” commentary, rather than a playground-level insult.
In general, Trump has notably been hostile to press, both during his first term and current one. He has been especially contentious with reporters who dare push back on or question administrative policies, playing favorites with ingratiating conservative-leaning outlets or influencers.