No Rivalry Here: Abby Phillip And Kaitlan Collins Shut Down Ongoing CNN Feud Rumors

Abby Phillip and Kaitlan Collins are getting along just fine despite persistent rumors that the two CNN anchors are beefing. Earlier this week, both women appeared to shut down claims about their rivalry as Phillip publicly congratulated Collins on winning the Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure, at the White House Correspondents' Association Awards on July 24. Phillip posted a photo of the two of them on X, alongside the heartwarming caption, "Congrats to my friend and colleague @kaitlancollins on last night's well-deserved award and for being, among other things, an excellent journalist." Collins returned the love by responding with two heart emojis. 

Congrats to my friend and colleague @kaitlancollins on last night's well-deserved award and for being, among other things, an excellent journalist. pic.twitter.com/hAiuVtqobs

— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) July 25, 2026

The drama between the journalists supposedly started back in May when gossip columnist Rob Shuter published a report alleging that Collins is no longer CNN's "favorite," with Phillip poised to become the network's new "It" anchor. "There's a noticeable power shift happening inside CNN," a source dished to Shuter's "Naughty But Nice" Substack, elaborating, "Anderson [Cooper] has been the face of CNN for decades, and Kaitlan was widely viewed as the future of political coverage." But, as they claimed, "Abby has become management's favorite, and everyone at the network knows it." Likewise, while their chief White House correspondent has long been a valuable asset to the network, Collins is at risk of being thrown to the curb by CNN in favor of Phillip (and we bet Trump is thrilled). 

"CNN believes Abby feels smarter, fresher, and less polarizing," the insider source added. "They see her as one of the few talents who can thrive once CNN changes ownership or the cable model disappears altogether." And though there's no evidence that Collins and Phillip are feuding, it hasn't gone unnoticed among staffers that Phillip has been getting more attention and favors from top executives. 

Kaitlan Collins and Abby Phillip have been working together at CNN since 2017, when they both joined the network as political correspondents during the first Trump administration. Over the years, they've gone from colleagues to good friends. In 2021, as Phillip prepared to welcome her first child with husband Marcus Richardson, the "CNN NewsNight" anchor credited Collins for hosting her baby shower in a post on Instagram. In 2023, the two women were photographed together at Variety's New Power of New York event as part of the honorees list. However, despite their ostensibly friendly relationship, Collins and Phillip are often framed as rivals and have been frequently pitted against each other. 

In 2023, on a Reddit discussion board about Phillip's reporting style, dozens of users debated which CNN anchor is better. "Abby Phillip is good. Kaitlan Collins is the one who has no business being an anchor," one user opined. Another echoed this sentiment, arguing that Phillip clearly takes the cake. "She is smart, articulate and asks penetrating questions and raises insightful points," they stressed. "Kaitlin is the one who brings nothing to the table." Others, however, felt that Collins was clearly more deserving of the title. 

"Collins is no comparison to Phillip. She doesn't stumble and has a natural command of her environment," one such user asserted, noting that while she may not be popular with everyone, she's undeniably talented. Someone else crowned the chief White House correspondent, who can't stop butting heads with President Donald Trump, as "the best journalist on CNN period." Still, regardless of the ongoing comparisons, it appears the two anchors have remained on good terms and show no real signs of bad blood between them.