Kaitlan Collins CNN role

CNN Considers Giving Kaitlan Collins Chief White House Correspondent Role

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CNN is reportedly considering appointing Kaitlan Collins, a primetime anchor at the network, as its new Chief White House correspondent. The potential move comes as the network adjusts its coverage plans for the incoming Trump administration. Collins, who currently hosts “The Source with Kaitlan Collins” on weekdays at 9 p.m., could move her show to Washington, D.C. as part of the expanded role, according to a report by Semafor.

This decision has yet to be finalized, but CNN CEO Mark Thompson and his senior team are said to be discussing the idea. The network hopes that moving Collins into this role would help her leverage her strong network of sources within the Trump administration. However, a source within the industry suggested that CNN might drop her from her current primetime hosting duties to focus entirely on her new White House correspondent role, as her show has struggled with viewership.

In its first year, Collins’ show averaged 629,000 viewers, but after the election, ratings dropped to between 430,000 and 565,000 viewers, according to Nielsen data. The network has been looking to cut costs, which led to the cancellation of Chris Wallace’s program, which was also struggling with low ratings. Wallace, reportedly earning $7 million annually, opted to leave after being offered a pay cut.

The network is also facing budget constraints, as seen in the recent refusal to grant raises to veteran hosts like Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer. Despite her ratings challenges, Collins has become a prominent figure at CNN, climbing from White House correspondent to co-host of “CNN This Morning” before moving to her current 9 p.m. timeslot.

Collins has experience covering Trump’s first administration and, more recently, reporting from Florida near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. While her ratings may have dipped, her ties to Trump and her reporting from key locations are seen as valuable to the network’s coverage of his second term.

The potential role shift comes amid broader concerns at CNN about how to balance its coverage of the incoming president. In an internal meeting, Thompson stressed the need to avoid a bias toward anti-Trump content, emphasizing the importance of covering stories outside the political bubble of Washington, D.C.