Who Is Kristin Donnelly? Kaitlan Collins’ Executive Producer Resigns Suddenly from CNN Citing Strange Reason Amid as Network Faces Challenges

Kaitlan Collins’ seasoned TV producer has suddenly resigned from her CNN show, allegedly due to being overworked by the struggling network. Kristin Donnelly resigned as executive producer of The Source with Kaitlan Collins, as reported in Oliver Darcy’s Status newsletter.

CNN staff were informed of her departure on Thursday, with Donnelly reportedly telling colleagues that the intense workload had become overwhelming and that the demanding hours were “brutal.” Donnelly had been part of the show since its debut in 2023, chosen for her expertise in overseeing high-profile programs. Collins’ show is the most-watched primetime program on the liberal network among the key advertiser demographic of viewers aged 25 to 54.

Sudden Departure

Before joining The Source with Collins, Donnelly worked on Inside Politics with John King, a role she took on in 2017 when she became part of the established media outlet. The host, who earns $3 million annually, is balancing dual responsibilities—anchoring her show while also serving as the network’s chief White House correspondent.

Donnelly’s resignation comes as the legacy network faces challenges with its viewership numbers. Although Collins’ show is the network’s top performer, it ranks only third in the 9 p.m. time slot.

It lags significantly behind Hannity on Fox News, which draws 272,000 viewers, and MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, which slightly surpasses Collins with 132,000 viewers, according to Nielsen data.

Fox News dominates the primetime slot, spanning from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., with The Five and Jesse Watters Primetime—both featuring Watters—attracting 430 million and 374 million viewers, respectively.

However, CNN maintains an edge over MSNBC in several primetime slots, including Anderson Cooper 360, which averages 110,000 viewers, compared to former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s program, which brings in around 70,000 viewers in the key demographic.

In overall primetime viewership, Collins’ show garners 569,000 viewers, while Hannity leads with 2.7 million, and The Rachel Maddow Show attracts 1.7 million.

In the Line of Fire

Collins has recently faced criticism on social media over her coverage of President Donald Trump, with some users jokingly comparing her to “a female Jim Acosta.” On Friday, she shared a video via CNN’s official social media accounts, highlighting a unique artwork selection displayed outside the Oval Office.

“Not only have we never had a US president with a mugshot – I’m not sure we’ve ever had a mugshot hanging outside of the Oval Office before,” Collins said in the video.

Trump supporters have taken to social media to criticize Collins over the video. One user on X commented, “Kaitlan Collins of CNN is mad that President Trump is proudly presenting his mugshot outside the Oval Office.”

“Here we go. The only reason Collin’s is in the press room is because she is nothing more than Jim Acosta 2.0,” another added.