CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins offered a brief but pointed response this weekend after former President Donald Trump posted a lengthy social media message about her. In the post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called the anchor “stupid and nasty” and appeared to criticize her reporting on the cost of White House renovations. However, Collins quickly noted that the former president seemed to be confusing two different topics.
Trump’s weekend rant took issue with Collins, though he misspelled her first name as “Caitlin.” He wrote that she had asked him “why the new Ballroom was costing more money,” and defended the project’s increased size and quality. He also repeated that no taxpayer money was involved and took shots at CNN’s ratings. But Collins, referencing a now-expired Instagram story, clarified the record. “Technically, my question was about Venezuela,” she pointed out.
The journalist was referring to an interaction earlier in the week. On December 5th, while at an event for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Collins asked Trump about his threats toward Venezuela, questioning how that aligned with receiving a peace prize. The president’s answer at the time was about ending wars. The ballroom story Collins reported on was separate, detailing how the renovation’s cost had reportedly grown and that the architect had been replaced.
This incident is the latest in a series of clashes between Trump and female journalists. In recent weeks, he has used derogatory language toward reporters from Bloomberg, The New York Times, and CBS News during press exchanges. His comments have ranged from personal insults to questioning reporters’ intelligence. Collins’s response was notably restrained, choosing to simply correct the factual record rather than engage in a heated back-and-forth.
The exchange highlights the ongoing tension between the former president and the press corps. Collins, known for her direct questioning, has often been a focus of Trump’s criticism. Her decision to respond by calmly noting the mix-up between Venezuela policy and ballroom renovations reflects a strategy of emphasizing accuracy over argument, letting the viewer decide where the real confusion lies.
