CNN’s CEO Chris Licht appears to have really approved of the town hall event morning show co-host Kaitlan Collins moderated last week featuring former President Donald Trump.

He announced in a memo to staff on Wednesday that he was giving Collins, a former reporter for the right-leaning Daily Caller, former CNN prime time host Chris Cuomo’s old 9 p.m. EDT slot which has been open for about a year.

“In her new program, officially launching later this summer, Kaitlan will showcase why she’s one of the top reporters and interviewers in the game,” Licht wrote in the memo, according to The New York Times. “She is a smart and gifted journalist who we’ve all seen hold lawmakers and newsmakers accountable. She pushes politicians off their talking points, gets real answers—and as everyone who’s worked with her knows—breaks a lot of news.”

Just announced at #WBDUpfront: @KaitlanCollins is the new anchor of CNN’s 9pm hour. In her new program, officially launching later this summer, Kaitlan will bring fresh reporting that adds new perspective to the biggest stories of the day. Join us in congratulating Kaitlan! pic.twitter.com/RRv8QaJE6c

— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) May 17, 2023

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In his memo, Licht said that Collins will expectedly “expose uncovered angles” and make sure that viewers see all sides of the story.

She will leave her current morning co-hosting duties with colleague Poppy Harlow, who will be joined by a rotation of guest co-hosts after the network fired former co-host Don Lemon last month around the same time Fox News took Tucker Carlson off the air.

“The network’s executives are currently searching for candidates to serve as the show’s executive producer to work with the development team, according to the memo,” the Daily Caller reported.

News of Collins’ meteoric rise at CNN comes as she hosted what many are calling a “disastrous” townhall in New Hampshire last Wednesday with Trump.

In a statement, a CNN spokesperson told Mediaite: “Tonight, Kaitlan Collins exemplified what it means to be a world-class journalist. She asked tough, fair, and revealing questions. And she followed up and fact-checked President Trump in real time to arm voters with crucial information about his positions as he enters the 2024 election as the Republican frontrunner. That is CNN’s role and responsibility: to get answers and hold the powerful to account.”

Many liberals sounded off on CNN for hosting Trump for the town hall ahead of the 2024 presidential election and spent most of the night raging and complaining.

New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez flamed CNN, tweeting: “CNN should be ashamed of themselves. They have lost total control of this “town hall” to again be manipulated into platforming election disinformation, defenses of Jan 6th, and a public attack on a sexual abuse victim. The audience is cheering him on and laughing at the host. This falls squarely on CNN. Everyone here saw exactly what was going to happen. Instead they put a sexual abuse victim in harm’s way for views. This was a choice to platform lies about the election & Jan 6th w/ no plan but to have their moderator interrupted without consequence.”

The CEO for Warner Bros Discovery, which owns CNN, defended the decision when he appeared on the CNBC show “Squawk Box” and spoke to Joe Kernan.

“Because I want to talk about CNN, and I want to talk about the cable news wars and what former President Trump is going to be on CNN?” host Joe Kernan asked David Zaslav.

“Yeah, he should be,” the CEO said.

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“You should be. You know, you’ve already gotten criticism. Remember what John Malone said. Let’s get some real journalists. Now you try to get some real journalists and you’re getting hit by CNN for getting rid of them,” the host said.

“We have a divided government. Right? We need to hear both voices. That’s what you see. Republicans are on the air on CNN, Democrats are on the air. All voices should be heard,” Zaslav noted.