CNN’s Jake Tapper came to the defense of his network colleague Kaitlan Collins after she became the latest in a series of female journalists to be hit with personal and degrading insults by Donald Trump.

The president called Collins “always stupid and nasty” in a rant on his Truth Social platform. Trump began the publication by misspelling the journalist’s name as “Caitlin.” He then became enraged by an alleged question from her about why the White House ballroom project is now costing more than originally thought.

See Trump’s post here:

Jake Tapper Dismantles Trump's Caitlan Collins Crisis, Point by Point

Social Truth

Collins herself responded via an Instagram story, writing: “Technically my question was about Venezuela,” referencing what she had actually asked Trump at the Kennedy Center, when she did not appear to question him in the ballroom.

Tapper backed up Collins on X with six counterpoints to Trump’s vitriol.

The host corrected Trump’s spelling of Collins’ name, called his colleague “smart” and “nice” and argued that questions about the ballroom are “legitimate” because they concern the “construction of a controversial project on the White House grounds.”

Tapper thanked Trump for his “explanation” and then criticized the president’s claim that CNN’s “ratings are so low that they’re not even inconsistent or relevant anymore” and concluded: “Generally speaking, if someone or something is irrelevant, the president doesn’t talk about them.”

1) “Kaitlan Collins”
2) she is smart
3) she is nice
4) it’s a legitimate question about building a controversial project on the White House grounds
5) Thanks for the explanation.
6) in general if someone or something is irrelevant, the President does not talk about it pic.twitter.com/YmonfntVjH

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

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1) “Kaitlan Collins”
2) she is smart
3) she is nice
4) it’s a legitimate question about building a controversial project on the White House grounds
5) Thanks for the explanation.
6) in general if someone or something is irrelevant, the President does not talk about it pic.twitter.com/YmonfntVjH

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