Donald Trump got up early on Saturday to criticize CNN host Kaitlan Collins for pointing out that his new ballroom is becoming more expensive than originally planned.
He started his rant on Truth Social, writing, “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.”
The ballroom was expected to cost $200 million when it was first announced, but it’s already $100 million over budget.
Trump gave several reasons for the high cost of his personal project.
Kaitlan Collins has had repeated clashes with Trump and his team since the inauguration.
She was called “stupid and nasty” for her coverage of the ballroom.
He wrote, “It is going to be double the size, and the quality of finishes and interiors has been brought to the highest level,” and added that the ballroom would also have a nice view.
Even though the project is still under construction and official plans have not been submitted, Trump claimed, “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.”
He ended his message by attacking CNN, calling it one of the worst in the business and part of the White House’s “fake news” watchdog.
He wrote, “FAKE NEWS CNN, and the guy who runs the whole corrupt operation that owns it, is one of the worst in the business.”
He added, “Their ratings are so low that they’re not even counted or relevant anymore.
MAGA!!!”
Collins had reported from the White House on The Source earlier that day, mentioning a crane working on the ballroom and noting that costs had “ballooned.”
Construction crews are currently removing the East Wing of the White House to prepare for the new ballroom.
The project is being funded by corporate donors including Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Caterpillar, Amazon, and Comcast, while JPMorgan Chase has chosen not to support it.
Although Trump’s attack on Collins suggested that everything was going well, he recently faced another setback when his original architect, James McCrery II, left the project.
The Washington Post reported that McCrery advised Trump against his oversized plans, but Trump, loyal to his own vision, hired Shalom Baranes as the new lead architect.
A White House official told The Beast that McCrery was not fired and would continue as a “valuable consultant.”
Trump plans to have the ballroom completed by 2029, the end of his second term.
According to the New York Times, he is willing to ignore standard building codes and other regulations to make that happen. The publication reported that Trump told workers to follow a more relaxed set of rules specific to the White House.
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