Jake Tapper Fires Back At Donald Trump Following His Verbal Attack On CNN's Kaitlan Collins

Longtime CNN anchor Jake Tapper rushed to his colleague, Kaitlan Collins', defense after President Donald Trump unleashed a slew of verbal attacks her way.

Trump and Collins began to clash late last week when the Chief White House Correspondent for CNN shared a new report about the Commander in Chief and the timeline and budget of his new White House ballroom project.

Donald Trump's lengthy post on his social media app, Truth Social, won't come as a surprise to many, as he's frequently taken shots at members of the media he disagrees with.

Donald Trump Crashes Out On Kaitlan Collins Over Cost Of White House Ballroom Project

On Saturday, December 6, Trump crashed out on social media, slamming Collins over her earlier report about the politician's ongoing ballroom project. Per Entertainment Weekly, Collins stated that Trump had "clashed with the original architect" of the project, seemingly adding more delays and increasing the ballroom's cost from $200 million to more than $300 million.

"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," Trump wrote online. "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."

Jake Tapper Responds To Donald Trump's Bold Statements About His Colleague

1) “Kaitlan Collins”
2) she’s smart
3) she’s nice
4) it’s a legitimate question about construction of a controversial project on White House grounds
5) Thanks for the explanation
6) generally speaking if someone or something is irrelevant, the President doesn’t talk about them pic.twitter.com/YmonfntVjH

— Jake Tapper 🦅 (@jaketapper) December 6, 2025

Trump didn't stop there, though. Continuing, the former "Apprentice" host threw out his long-held "fake news" insult and later called CNN "the worst in the business" before referencing their "low ... ratings."

Tapper, who joined the ranks of CNN in 2012, came to his colleague's defense on X, formerly Twitter. He also slammed the near 80-year-old for finding fault in Collins' "legitimate" question.

With a list of bullets, Tapper corrected Trump, who originally misspelled Collins' name, and later called her "smart ... [and] nice." He went on, "It's a legitimate question about construction of a controversial project on White House grounds."

Does Tapper Believe Donald Trump Has It Out For CNN?

Tapper thanked Trump for the explanation about his ballroom project, which he announced in July 2025. He finished with a pointed statement. "Generally speaking, if someone or something is irrelevant, the President doesn't talk about them."

Trump has been criticized over the last few months regarding his treatment of female journalists. In November, he took aim at New York Times staffer Kate Rogers, sharing horrifying statements about the reporter online.

"Katie Rogers, who is assigned to write only bad things about me, is a third rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out," he posted.

What Else Is Trump Working On?

The White House's expected ballroom isn't the only major project Trump has his hands involved in. According to The Blast, the POTUS is working hard to have his name attached to the Washington Commanders' new $3.7 billion stadium in the nation's capital.

A senior White House spokesperson reported just last month that the NFL team's ownership group had been in communication with the president, who reportedly expressed his desire to see his name atop of the massive new-build.

"That would be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said via email. "It's what the president wants, and it will probably happen."

Could Trump's Name Actually Be On Top Of The New Commanders' New Stadium?

Currently, the Washington Commanders play at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The new stadium is being built on the site of the old RFK Stadium, where the team played from 1961 to 1996.

Sources close to the situation initially shared that the stadium's naming rights would likely be sold to a corporate sponsor like other teams in the league. However, they noted that "commemorating an individual in the stadium name" is a different process.

The District of Columbia Council and National Park Service will reportedly have the final say when the stadium opens in 2030. "The team doesn't have the authority. They can't name the stadium ... on their own," the source said. "The city would be involved in that decision, and the Park Service would be involved."

Another source shared that while the name of the new stadium is up in the air, the president could make completing the pricey project "very difficult."

"He has cards to play. He can make it very difficult, through government environmental approvals and other things, to make sure everyone who wants this stadium to be built will join to put his name on it," they said. "Trump has plenty of cards to play to get his way."