Over the summer, President Donald Trump announced the commencement of a ballroom construction at the White House, paving the way for the 47th president to cement his place in the record books concerning presidential renovations.
The ballroom would replace the East Wing, which primarily served as an office for the first lady and her secretaries since it was built by then-President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 and later expanded by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) in 1942.
Trump’s renovation would cease decades of precedent.
The president argued that such a renovation needed to take place, citing the need to house world leaders and host major functions at the White House.
In a statement released by the White House in July, Trump explained why a ballroom is needed, citing the fact that many presidents before him have made drastic renovations.
“The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance,” the statement said.
“The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of ornately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people — a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House,” it added.
The president’s announcement was met with fierce disapproval from Democrats, including CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins.
Collins reportedly asked the president why the cost of the ballroom was so high and had increased from previous figures, per the Daily Mail.
In response, Trump released a blistering message on Truth Social, where he called Collins “stupid and nasty.”
“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. Also, the column SPAN has been substantially increased for purposes of viewing. It is actually under budget and ahead of schedule, as my jobs always are,” Trump said.
“It’s just much bigger and more beautiful than originally planned. Interestingly, and seldom reported, there are no taxpayer dollars involved. It is being fully paid for by private donations. FAKE NEWS CNN, and the guy who runs the whole corrupt operation that owns it, is one of the worst in the business. Their ratings are so low that they’re not even counted or relevant anymore. MAGA!!!” he added.
Collins then took to Instagram, where she reacted to the commander in chief’s comments. “Technically my question was about Venezuela,” she said.
