A brief online exchange this weekend highlighted ongoing tensions between former President Donald Trump and the press. Trump posted a message on Truth Social targeting CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins, calling her “stupid and nasty” and criticizing her reporting. Collins responded by noting a factual error in his post.
The Context: Trump’s lengthy rant appeared to be about Collins’s reporting on the increasing cost of White House ballroom renovations. He defended the project’s scale and funding while attacking CNN. However, Collins clarified via Instagram that his post seemed to confuse two separate events.
The Correction: “Technically, my question was about Venezuela,” Collins wrote. She was referring to a question she posed to Trump days earlier about his threats against Venezuela, which she asked at a World Cup event where he received a peace prize. Her report on the ballroom costs was a separate piece of journalism.
The Pattern: This is the latest in a series of personal attacks by Trump on female journalists. In recent weeks, he has insulted reporters from Bloomberg, The New York Times, and CBS News during press interactions, often using derogatory language in response to policy questions.
The Takeaway: Collins’s response avoided engaging with the personal insult, focusing instead on a clear point of fact. The incident underscores the challenging environment for journalists questioning powerful figures and the strategic choice to emphasize accuracy in the face of personal criticism.
