Kaitlan Collins gets CNN prime-time spot vacated by Chris Cuomo

CNN named Kaitlan Collins its 9 p.m. anchor.

The 31-year-old host permanently takes over the prime-time spot opened when Chris Cuomo was dropped at the end of 2021. Her appointment to lead the prized television hour comes one week after she hosted a Republican town hall with former President Donald Trump, which drew heavy criticism to the network and Collins.

During the 69-minute event at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, the former White House correspondent continually tried to fact-check Trump. In turn, the former president insulted her, played to his audience and flooded the airwaves with lies about the 2020 election.

CNN Chairman Chris Licht announced Collins’ hiring during Wednesday’s Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront presentation, according to an open letter to his CNN colleagues.

“Kaitlan will begin anchoring the 9 p.m. [show] regularly in June,” Licht announced. “In her new program, officially launching later this summer, Kaitlan will showcase why she’s one of the top reporters and interviewers in the game. She is a smart and gifted journalist who we’ve all seen hold lawmakers and newsmakers accountable.”

Licht said CNN is opening a “nationwide search” for an executive producer.

CNN said Collins “will transition off ‘CNN This Morning,’” which will be helmed by her co-host Poppy Harlow and a rotation of CNN guest anchors. The cable news rising star joined the morning program in November after working as a White House correspondent for CNN. Before that, Collins covered politics for right-wing outlet The Daily Caller.

Trump spent the past week gloating about his appearance on CNN, including a social media barb claiming the cable news channel began regretting having him on air once “they quickly realized that Ms. Collins was not exactly Barbara Walters, or even close.”

The former president said CNN should be happy the network led the cable ratings in the 9 p.m. time slot when he appeared with Collins on May 10 and attracted 3.3 million viewers — more than Fox News and MSNBC combined.

However, a massive online #Boycott CNN” coincided with Trump’s appearance. Two nights after the town hall, far right-wing cable outlet Newsmax, which is famously loyal to the former president, trumped CNN in prime time for the first time. According to Nielsen, CNN averaged 335,000 viewers Friday night versus Newsmax’s audience of 357,000.

Collins’ biggest competitors in the 9 p.m. spot will be Sean Hannity on Fox News and Alex Wagner, 45. The latter replaced Rachel Maddow on MSNBC in August. Hannity, 61, is history’s longest-running prime-time cable host.