CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Fact-Checks Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Air After She Repeats False Claim That President Trump’s Shutdown Priority Was Building a White House Ballroom
A heated exchange unfolded on live television when CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins corrected Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) after the congresswoman repeated a debunked claim about President Donald Trump’s supposed “White House ballroom project.” The tense moment came during a Thursday night segment on The Source, where Crockett criticized the administration’s handling of the ongoing government shutdown.
During the discussion, Crockett claimed that Trump’s “top priority amid the shutdown” was constructing a new ballroom at the White House — a statement that Collins immediately flagged as false. “Just to be clear, that’s not accurate,” Collins interjected, noting that no such ballroom project exists on the federal budget or any official spending document. “The claim has been circulating online for days but has been fact-checked and proven untrue.”
The congresswoman appeared momentarily stunned but defended her comment, arguing that “sources close to the administration” had discussed “luxury renovations” amid the shutdown. Collins pushed back again, clarifying that the White House renovations currently underway involve long-planned infrastructure repairs, not a ballroom construction. “There’s no ballroom being built. That’s simply misinformation,” Collins stated firmly.
The exchange quickly spread online, drawing reactions across the political spectrum. Conservatives hailed Collins’s correction as a rare moment of accountability on CNN, where critics have often accused the network of giving Democrats a free pass. Social media users flooded platforms like X and Instagram with clips of the segment, praising the anchor for “calling out falsehoods in real time.”
Fact-checking outlets including Reuters, AP, and PolitiFact later confirmed that the rumor originated from a satirical social media post earlier in October, which falsely claimed Trump had personally allocated federal construction funds for a “White House Grand Ballroom.” The claim gained traction among anti-Trump accounts before being shared by several left-leaning pages on TikTok and X, eventually reaching members of Congress.
A CNN spokesperson later told reporters that Collins “acted appropriately and accurately corrected misinformation” during the broadcast. The White House has not issued any formal response, but Trump campaign representatives privately praised Collins’s professionalism, calling it “a refreshing moment of truth from mainstream media.”
The controversy unfolds amid an already tense political climate, with the government shutdown entering its fifth week and both parties trading blame over spending priorities. The White House continues to press Senate Democrats to pass a temporary resolution to fund federal agencies, while opposition leaders accuse the administration of “political hostage-taking.”
Political analysts say the Crockett exchange reflects the broader struggle between misinformation and accountability in the 2025 media landscape. “This is a clear case of how unverified online narratives can seep into public discourse, even among elected officials,” said communication strategist Kevin Ellis. “Collins’s correction wasn’t just journalism — it was civic responsibility.”
While Rep. Crockett has yet to publicly retract her claim, the incident serves as a reminder of the risks politicians face when echoing viral rumors without verification. For CNN, the exchange marks a notable instance of on-air fact-checking that resonated across party lines — proof that truth, even in today’s divided environment, can still cut through the noise.
