CNN names Phil Mattingly as chief White House correspondent

Phil Mattingly is promoted to CNN’s chief White House correspondent after Kaitlan Collins leaves for the network’s revived morning show.

Mattingly previously served as a senior White House correspondent for the Biden administration. He was previously a congressional correspondent. He joined the network in 2015 and has covered Republican campaign candidates including Chris Christie, John Kasich and Donald Trump. In coordination with the White House, he delivered news including Biden’s plans to sanction Vladimir Putin, details of a multinational effort to attack Russian supply chains and developments in the president’s OPEC negotiations.

Collins has been the chief White House correspondent since the start of the Biden administration, but left the beat to serve as co-anchor CNN this morning with Poppy Harlow and Don Lemon.

The network also promoted MJ Lee to senior White House correspondent after he begins the tact in 2021. She shared stories of baby food shortages, student loan debt relief, and public health emergencies. She joined the network in 2015 and previously worked at the New York agency covering Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign and later Biden’s general election campaign and transition.

In addition, Priscilla Alvarez joins the White House team as a reporter. She will still be responsible for immigration.

Arlette Saenz, Jasmine Wright, Jeremy Diamond, Kate Bennett and Kevin Liptak will continue to report on the White House with CNN Digital.