CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Has Gone From 'It Girl’ To 'Sacrificial Lamb' as She Struggles Against Primetime Competitors

That was fast. Kaitlan Collins has gone from being CNN’s new “it girl” to its "sacrificial lamb" in a New York minute following the firing of her boss Chris Licht. Now without her protector around and struggling to compete with MSNBC and Fox News in the ratings, Collins knows she will soon be slaughtered, RadarOnline.com has been told.

We've reached out to CNN for comment.

As this outlet reported, network bosses reportedly questioned why Licht promoted the 31-year-old newswoman from CNN This Morning to The Source on June 5. After Collins' debut in the coveted 9 PM timeslot pulled in less viewership than sitcom repeats like Golden Girls, SpongeBob Squarepants, South Park, Seinfeld, Friends, and Modern Family, sources said CNN's top brass turned on its experimental primetime star.

“Kaitlin Collins will go down as Chris Licht’s original sin,” one veteran news insider told Puck last week. “She was the perfect high-visibility White House Correspondent for the Trump years and a rare American in coastal network media.”

“She is blameless. She was in the perfect job for her,” the industry source insisted, adding that Licht was “unable to recognize when an employee is doing what they were meant to do.”

Collins' controversial town hall with Donald Trump in May didn't do her any favors. Many CNN supporters — and even staff — were up in arms that the liberal network gave the embattled ex-president a platform just days after a civil jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation against ex-columnist E. Jean Carroll.

CNN insiders told RadarOnline.com exclusively that the morale around the newsroom was at an "all-time low" following the Trump town hall as many employees looked at the event as a "gross" grab for ratings.

The network had been struggling with viewership under Licht's leadership, and many believed he needed a Hail Mary at the time to keep his job.

"No one wanted Trump on the air at CNN in a town hall format where he was just allowed to basically run his mouth unchecked," the source told us. "Staffers did everything possible NOT to get stuck working on the special."

The move didn't save Licht's job, and some felt it put Collins in an unfavorable light with colleagues and viewers.

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Many called the town hall "disastrous" and accused the young anchor of allowing Trump free rein during the broadcast. Despite the backlash, Collins defended her performance and insisted she did her homework to go head-to-head against the GOP frontrunner.