Jake Tapper is hitting back at President Donald Trump for calling CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins "stupid and nasty."

In a post to X, Tapper responded to Trump's diatribe against Collins with a list, correcting the president's spelling of his colleague's name and pointing out that if she were irrelevant, he would not feel the need to insult her.

"1) 'Kaitlan Collins' 2) she's smart 3) she's nice," Tapper wrote. He then addressed Trump's complaint over Collins' question regarding budgeting issues for the construction of a new ballroom at the White House.

"It's a legitimate question about construction of a controversial project on White House grounds," he wrote, then continuing his list with: "5) Thanks for the explanation 6) generally speaking if someone or something is irrelevant, the President doesn't talk about them."

Tapper's list came after Trump railed against Collins and CNN in a Dec. 6 post to Truth Social.

"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," the president wrote. "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.

"FAKE NEWS CNN, and the guy who runs the whole corrupt operation that owns it, is one of the worst in the business," he continued. "Their ratings are so low that they're not even counted or relevant anymore. MAGA!!!"

In a since-expired Instagram stories post, Collins responded, "Technically, my question was about Venezuela," she wrote alongside a video of her exchange with the president, per Entertainment Weekly.

Trump's spat with Collins is only the latest in a growing number of exchanges with journalists. Known for his sharp, and sometimes crass, critique of the news media, the president most recently landed in hot water for telling a female reporter, "quiet piggy" during a press gaggle on Air Force One. In another heated exchange in the Oval Office on Nov. 18, a few days after the "quiet, piggy" comment, Trump called ABC News' Mary Bruce a "terrible reporter" and took aim at her "attitude."

Contributing: Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jake Tapper defends Kaitlan Collins after Trump rant

Reporting by Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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