Trump rips ‘nasty’ Kaitlan Collins and touts ‘beautiful’ ballroom after architect swap
President Trump issued a vigorous defense of the $300 million ballroom he is building at the White House, calling it “bigger and more beautiful” than planned, as he tore into CNN’s “nasty” Kaitlan Collins on Saturday for questioning him about it.
“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. 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,” Trump posted on his Truth Social, misspelling the White House correspondent’s name.
“Also, the column SPAN has been substantially increased for purposes of viewing,” Trump wrote, referencing the design specifications of the columned 90,000 square foot building, to be built on and beyond the site of the East Wing, which he had torn down.
“It is actually under budget and ahead of schedule, as my jobs always are. It’s just much bigger and more beautiful than originally planned,” Trump wrote.
It wasn’t clear when Collins may have asked Trump about the ballroom. But she mentioned it on her Friday night show, “The Source with Kaitlan Collins.”
“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 said.
The president’s comments come after the departure of architect James McCrery II from the project. He had overseen design at the helm of a small firm before the cost ballooned to $300 million.
A new architect, Shalom Baranes, has taken over, the White House confirmed following a Washington Post report.
Trump noted that “there are no taxpayer dollars involved. A list of donors disclosed by the White House in October listed donors including Amazon, Meta and Apple, among others who have government business.
