Kaitlan Collins grew up in Prattville, Alabama, a suburb of Montgomery, one of five children. She graduated from Prattville High School and attended the University of Alabama, starting in chemistry before switching to journalism. After college, she moved to Washington, D.C., for an internship at The Daily Caller. The site hired her as an entertainment reporter in June 2014.

After covering the 2016 election, Collins became The Daily Caller’s White House correspondent in January 2017. CNN hired her that July, following several guest appearances on its air. In 2018, the White House barred her from a Rose Garden event after she questioned President Donald Trump about Vladimir Putin and Michael Cohen. CNN promoted her to chief White House correspondent in January 2021.

In 2022, Collins moved to New York to co-anchor the revamped morning show CNN This Morning. In May 2023, she moderated CNN’s town hall with Trump in New Hampshire. The Source with Kaitlan Collins, her 9 p.m. show, premiered on July 10, 2023. In November 2024, CNN also returned her to the White House beat, a role she still holds.