Donald Trump calls her “nasty.” CNN executives deem her brilliant and call her “tenacious.” She’s Kaitlan Collins, one of the fastest-rising stars in American media. Still in her 30s, she’s already carved out a reputation for no-holds-barred reporting, unflinching questions, and a fearless presence in the White House briefing room. She’s known for exposing spin and cutting through political noise — but if we’re being honest, there’s a bit of noise swirling around her, too.
Calling Collins a busy bee would be putting it mildly. She’s CNN’s chief White House correspondent and the host of her own primetime show, “The Source.” And her colleagues rave about her grind. “Kaitlan distinguished herself through good reporting and rigorous questioning in the White House Briefing Room,” media veteran Maggie Haberman told Elle. “Good work stands out.” And while she often clashes with others because of her reporting, Collins makes no apologies for her confrontational style. “It’s also about calling out bulls*** when there’s bulls*** or calling out talking points when there are talking points,” she said. “It’s your job to push those people, particularly when they’re world leaders.”
With that kind of work ethic, it’s only a matter of time before Collins is grouped with the heavyweights of cable news. But while she’s built a career on calling out shady behavior, her own path hasn’t been entirely spotless either.
Kaitlan used to work for a news organization co-founded by Tucker Carlson
It’s hard not to raise an eyebrow at Kaitlan Collins’ career arc. Today, she’s one of CNN’s most recognizable faces and a sharp critic of Donald Trump — yet she kickstarted her journalism career at The Daily Caller, the ultra-conservative news site co-founded by none other than Tucker Carlson. Before she was sparring with politicians in the White House briefing room, Collins was cranking out entertainment listicles for the Caller — think nude scenes from “Game of Thrones” and headlines about Jessica Simpson’s “curves.” Not exactly hard-hitting political journalism she’s now known for.
To be fair, Collins has explained that she took the opportunity simply to get her foot in the door. “I didn’t even know what The Daily Caller was or who Tucker Carlson was, [but] I needed a job,” she told Elle. The Caller happened to be hiring, and it got her to D.C. — a place where politics seeps into everything. “You’re around it so much. You see lawmakers at restaurants and at stores, and it just becomes your life.” And to her credit, it worked — she got a D.C. press badge, proximity to power, and eventually, a promotion to cover the early days of Trump’s presidency. “I was at a conservative-leaning outlet during the rise of Donald Trump,” she shared. “We could see the [Republican] party transform from rejecting him…to embracing him… It was very illuminating.”
What’s also illuminating? For a while, Collins seemed less than eager to advertise her The Daily Caller era. Some of her early bylines mysteriously vanished —including stories about Melania Trump’s best fashion moments and the scandalous outfits of Sasha and Malia Obama. Whether those were quietly scrubbed or just buried under layers of outdated CMS, though, is anyone’s guess.
She was under fire for years-old homophobic tweets
Working for a conservative news outlet is one thing. Echoing some of its more problematic ideologies, intentionally or not, is another. When Kaitlan Collins was already making waves at CNN, internet sleuths did what they do best: dug through her old tweets. And yes, they found some, alright. Log Cabin Republicans on X (formerly Twitter) resurfaced old tweets from Collins’ college days at the University of Alabama — ones that were, to put it bluntly, homophobic.
In one tweet from 2011, Collins casually used the slur “f*g” and made another post questioning whether she’d want to room with a lesbian. The context was murky, but the backlash wasn’t, and Collins didn’t deny any of it. Instead, she took responsibility. “When I was in college, I used ignorant language in a few tweets to my friends,” she wrote.” It was immature but it doesn’t represent the way I feel at all. I regret it and apologize.”
It was the only time she publicly addressed the controversy, but it’s clear she’s been working to clean up her image ever since — and prove she’s not the same college kid tweeting slurs for laughs. Notably, in 2025, she went head-to-head with Donald Trump after he blamed a deadly plane collision in Washington, D.C., on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. “Does it comfort [the victims’] family to hear you blaming DEI policies?” she asked, to which Trump responded, “I think that’s not a very smart question. I’m surprised, coming from you.”
Kaitlan was criticized for promoting Luigi Mangione’s defense fund
Just when you’d think Kaitlan Collins would be a little more careful about what she posts online, she stirred up fresh controversy in February 2025, this time over a tweet involving an alleged murderer. On her X page, Collins shared a link to a website launched by the legal defense team of Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing a UnitedHealthcare CEO. “Luigi Mangione’s legal defense team has launched a new website today.” she penned, along with a link to a site with trial updates, attorney bios, and statements from the suspect himself.
Unsurprisingly, the backlash was swift — and brutal. Critics accused her of essentially promoting a fundraiser for a killer. “@kaitlancollins is promoting a fundraiser for a murderer. She should not be allowed anywhere near President Trump or the White House… The Secret Service should revoke her White House security clearance,” one critic tweeted. “She should be banned from the WH Press room until she apologizes to the victim’s family,” said another. What’s more, Radar Online also reported that because of the tweet, Collins found herself “in furious clashes with CNN bosses.”
Facing a full-blown PR nightmare — and possibly a threat to her job — Collins deleted the tweet. But true to form, she didn’t go quietly. “I posted that his attorneys created a website, which is newsworthy and other outlets have also reported on,” she wrote in a tweet. “In no way did I share a fundraising link for him.”
Her executive producer suspiciously quit CNN
With Kaitlan Collins cementing her status as one of CNN’s top talents, it wouldn’t be shocking if she ends up sitting pretty next to Anderson Cooper at the top of the network’s hierarchy. She’s already close, reportedly pulling in $3 million a year as CNN’s chief White House correspondent and the primetime anchor of “The Source with Kaitlan Collins.” (She previously co-hosted “CNN This Morning” before landing her solo slot.)
By all appearances, she’s well on her way to becoming a full-blown broadcast superstar. But behind the scenes, there’s been some drama. Kristin Donnelly, the executive producer of her show— and a seasoned media veteran known for working on “Inside Politics with John King” and “The Lead with Jake Tapper” — unexpectedly left both the program and the network. According to Oliver Darcy’s newsletter, Donnelly cited the “brutal” working hours as her reason for leaving, saying they were “taking a toll.”
Whether Collins had anything to do with Donnelly’s sudden departure is anyone’s guess. Officially, it’s all chalked up to burnout. But the timing? A little suspicious. Still, one thing’s clear: Collins is relentless. Even her peers say so. “She is whip smart, researches relentlessly and works tirelessly. I’m not sure how many phones she has, but there’s at least one pressed to her ear throughout the day as she checks in with sources in campaigns, Congress and courtrooms,” noted Cooper. “She will outwit, outplay and outlast us all. She is that good, and she is only just getting started.”
Kaitlan has no problem stirring drama in the White House
To say Kaitlan Collins is well-connected at CNN would be an understatement. She reportedly left her job at The Daily Caller after a casual chat with then-CNN president Jeff Zucker. She also seemed to be on friendly terms with his successor, Chris Licht, who had grand dreams of steering the network toward ideological neutrality. And while Collins might look the part of a balanced, straight-shooter anchor, her actions tell a different story.
A longtime Trump critic, Collins has never shied away from stirring the pot at the White House — even if it means becoming public enemy number one. She’s gone head-to-head with Vice President JD Vance over everything from pro-Palestinian campus protests to the Capitol riot and Trump’s laundry list of legal issues. She also managed to ruffle the feathers of press secretary Karoline Leavitt while digging into the Signal group chat scandal. In March 2025, Leavitt just about lost it. “Kaitlan, I am not taking your follow-up,” she snapped, shutting her down in front of the entire press corps.
And of course, there’s Trump. Their long, messy history includes barbed exchanges, a ban from the press room, and the president calling her “nasty.” Still, Collins refuses to flinch. She’s not afraid to poke the bear if it means getting the story right. After years of run-ins with Trump, she claims to have him all figured out. “[Trump is] someone who seeks the validation of the press as much as he criticizes them publicly,” she told The New Yorker. “And so, you know, it doesn’t really bother me when he gets upset at my question.”
