Ep. 537 — Kaitlan Collins

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

CNN

News

4.6 • 7.7K Ratings

🗓️ 8 June 2023

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins arrived at college as a chemistry major, but the die-hard Crimson Tide fan soon realized life in a science lab was not her calling. After scouring the university’s course book, she decided to give journalism a try. Now, at just 31 years old, she is about to take over anchor duties for the 9 p.m. hour on CNN. Kaitlan joined David to talk about how her upbringing in Prattville, Alabama informs her reporting, her path to becoming a White House correspondent in her mid-20s, her move from the Daily Caller to CNN, what it was like covering the Trump administration and her relationship with Donald Trump, and her new 9 p.m. show.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	And now, from the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN Audio, the Axfiles, with
0:12.6	your host, David Axelrod.
0:19.1	When Caitlin Collins nearly bombed out of her freshman chemistry courses at the University
0:24.1	of Alabama, she thumbed through the course catalog in search of a new major and landed
0:29.5	on journalism.
0:30.8	The rest, as they say, is history.
0:33.2	In six phenomenal years, she's risen from reporting novice to become the chief Whitehouse
0:37.7	correspondent for CNN and now, the anchor of a new primetime show at 9, which will debut
0:43.3	in the coming weeks.
0:44.7	I sat down with Caitlin early this week to talk about her extraordinary journey, the president
0:49.5	she's covered and of course, that tumultuous town hall a few weeks ago with Donald Trump.
0:54.8	One note, this conversation took place before the news hit that Chris Lyck, CNN's former
1:00.0	chair and CEO would be departing the network.
1:03.2	Here's my conversation with Caitlin Collins.
1:13.7	Caitlin Collins, it is good to see you.
1:16.6	I've been looking forward to chatting.
1:19.8	It's been 12 hours since we were all together.
1:22.4	I know.
1:23.4	I missed you so much.
1:24.4	We were together last night at the post pre and post for the latest CNN town hall with
1:31.4	Nikki Haley.
1:32.4	We'll talk a little about that later.
	...

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