CNN Fact-Checks Crockett on Trump Ballroom

Rep. Jasmine Crockett told CNN that President Trump’s new East Wing ballroom was his “main priority” during the government shutdown, citing a remark by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins interrupted to correct that Leavitt’s comment was taken out of context — Leavitt was referring to the ballroom as a top priority among White House renovation projects at that moment, not the administration’s overriding focus. A shortened clip of Leavitt’s comment, shared by Acyn Torabi/MeidasTouch, went viral and drew millions of views and outrage from Democrats and commentators. Reporting noted the ballroom’s estimated cost of roughly $250–$300 million and that the project is being funded by private donors, prompting some Democrats to call for its removal if elected. Conservative outlets praised Collins’s live fact-check, while opinion pieces used Crockett’s remarks to criticize Democratic messaging around the shutdown.