Kaitlan Collins, a 31-year-old journalist and co-host of “CNN This Morning,” has recently come under fire for past comments and actions on social media. Collins was the moderator for a town hall event with former President Donald Trump, which has sparked controversy and led to the resurfacing of several incidents from her past.
One of the incidents involves Collins’ previous employment at The Daily Caller, a news site founded by Tucker Carlson. During her time there from 2014 to 2017, Collins wrote articles that have been deemed controversial by some. She has also been criticized for making anti-gay tweets during her college years.
Another incident involves Collins’ appearance on Fox News in 2016, during which she slammed left-wing billionaire George Soros for supporting open-border policies, and appeared to back Trump’s policies. In the interview, Collins claimed that Soros wanted to change the nature of the country and further his immigration agenda through the current crisis.
Collins also criticized Soros for endorsing Hillary Clinton and Black Lives Matter, which she considered a problem that Americans should be aware of. Some users on Twitter have used the resurfaced interview clip to suggest that Collins “felt right at home” during the Trump town hall event.
Other users on Twitter have criticized CNN for giving Collins the moderator role for the town hall event just weeks after firing Don Lemon, suggesting that the network may be shifting right. Some have also questioned Collins’ political leanings, citing her time at The Daily Caller, which is known for its conservative views.
Keith Olbermann, a former MSNBC anchor, also criticized Collins for a 2014 article she wrote for The Daily Caller that “mocks both torture and charity fundraising for ALS.” The article’s headline was “Ice Bucket Challenge Hipsters: These Guantanamo Detainees Did It First,” and it compared the ice bucket challenge to the waterboarding of Guantanamo Bay prisoners.
Despite the criticism, Collins has defended her work and past statements. In a 2021 interview with InStyle, she claimed to have had a “really apolitical upbringing” in a rural town in Alabama. Nonetheless, some users on social media remain skeptical of Collins’ political beliefs and suitability as a CNN anchor.
Exactly it was malpractice putting her there, they did it deliberately knowing where her heart is. You don’t turn this kinda hate off and I’m guessing Trump picked her we know he wouldn’t have done it if Anderson Cooper was going to be up there or Jake or any number of others.
— Pissed Off Grandma (@PissedOffGranma) May 11, 2023
Wow. I’ve never seen videos of her spewing RW propaganda like this. Pretty extreme stuff. Guessing this is why she got the “town hall” gig. And they fired Don Lemon?
Tells you the direction they’re going.
I’m not inclined to tune in at all.— Get Boosted! (@craftyme25) May 11, 2023
-Of course Tucker Carlson wrote “It’s not how white men fight.” He’s always been racist.
What Fox feared: it would be quoted in court. And Fox leaked it.
-Kaitlan Collins’ past resurfaces: she mocked ALS charity AND torture
WEDNESDAY COUNTDOWN PODCAST https://t.co/4XvcdKFdic pic.twitter.com/x0HBRLLDom
— Keith Olbermann↙️ (@KeithOlbermann) May 3, 2023
