Senior CNN officials are considering hiring anchor Kaitlan Collins for the role of chief White House correspondent as it grapples with how to cover the incoming Trump administration, according to a report.
Collins, who hosts “The Source with Kaitlan Collins” weekdays at 9 p.m., will move her New York-based show to Washington, D.C., at least part of the time, Semaphore reported Sunday.
Although CNN has been adamant that it does not want to return to its frenetic 24-hour coverage of Donald Trump when he returns to the White House in January, it is considering changing its lineup to better cover the new administration.
The move, which has not yet been finalized, is currently being discussed by CNN CEO Mark Thompson and his aides, with the hope that it will allow Collins to take full advantage of her network of sources within the Trump White House.
CNN did not respond to requests for comment.
The reporter covered the first Trump administration for CNN, as well as for her former employer, the conservative news site The Daily Caller.
In recent weeks, Collins has been reporting from West Palm Beach, Florida, near the president-elect's Mar-a-Lago compound, where she hosted her show from nearby and reported on breaking news about the president-elect's transition efforts.
The 32-year-old star has risen through the ranks of the struggling news network, going from the role of White House correspondent to co-host of “CNN This Morning,” the ill-fated morning show co-hosted by Don Lemon and Bobby. Harlow, both of whom were fired.
Collins managed to avoid that disaster and find a great gig, cementing the network's 9pm slot and establishing herself as CNN's “cool girl.”
Even with her ties to Trump, Collins may find it difficult to walk a tightrope at CNN, which has grappled with how to cover the incoming president.
Thompson said in an internal meeting with staff earlier this month that he didn't want the network to default to leaning into a lot of anti-Trump coverage before another four years of Trump in power, the Status newsletter first reported.
He also stressed that there will be a large number of important stories outside the DC bubble that should not be pushed aside and that the network must strike a balance.
