Longtime CNN Correspondent Departs Network After Two Years: Report

CNN’s senior White House correspondent Kayla Tausche is leaving the network just two years after being poached from CNBC in a highly publicized hire—yet another sign of instability inside the embattled cable news outlet.

In a farewell message obtained by Status, the 38-year-old reporter offered no explanation for her departure, writing only: “I’m off to chase the next big story.”

Tausche previously served as a prominent voice covering the Biden White House for CNBC and later anchored portions of the network’s 2020 election night coverage and inauguration. She also reported during President Donald Trump’s first term, though her time at CNN coincided with the network’s steady ratings decline and credibility crisis.

Her exit comes amid broader shakeups inside CNN’s White House team. Earlier this year, the network appointed Kaitlan Collins as lead correspondent for the White House beat—despite her continuing to anchor her primetime show, The Source. The dual role has made Collins a frequent lightning rod, especially as the Trump administration ramps up its second-term initiatives.

Meanwhile, CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has signaled it may break up its cable holdings in an attempt to stem financial losses driven by cord-cutting and dwindling viewership. The network continues to hemorrhage audience share while Fox News solidifies its dominance in the post-election media landscape.

Since President Donald Trump’s resounding 2024 victory, Fox News has seen an unprecedented surge in ratings—leaving CNN and MSNBC in the dust. According to recent reports, Fox News has captured the top 1,013 cable news telecasts since Election Day.

One major milestone was the network’s coverage of President Trump’s second inauguration, which drew 11.7 million viewers—the highest-rated hour of 2025 to date.

In stark contrast, MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show managed just 2.4 million viewers for a March broadcast, placing it at 1,104th on the list. Maddow has since retreated to a once-a-week format after failing to sustain viewership.

Fox News now commands a 65% share of the total-day cable news audience and a 66% share in primetime. CNN trails with just 14% of daytime viewership and 12% in primetime, while MSNBC holds 20% and **22%, respectively.

Fox News viewership since the election:

• 1.8 million total viewers and 224,000 in the 25–54 demo overall
• 2.7 million viewers and 335,000 in the 25–54 demo during primetime

The trend continued through late April and early May, with Fox averaging 1.6 million total viewers and dominating in the advertiser-coveted 25–54 demographic.

Fox Prime Time Ratings (April 28–May 4):

• The Five: 3.7 million (366,000 in demo)
• Jesse Watters Primetime: 3.3 million (364,000)
• Special Report: 2.8 million (311,000)
• The Ingraham Angle: 2.7 million (323,000)
• Hannity: 2.6 million (280,000)
• Fox News @ Night: 1.5 million (180,000)

Fox’s Late-Night Breakthrough

In a development that would’ve been unthinkable just a few years ago, Fox News’ "Gutfeld!" has overtaken the legacy networks’ late-night comedy shows. Gutfeld pulled in 2.8 million viewers and 298,000 in the demo, outperforming:

• CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (1.8 million, 272,000 demo)
• ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1.4 million, 231,000 demo)
• NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1.1 million, 267,000 demo)

Daytime Success:

• The Will Cain Show: 2 million viewers
• Outnumbered: nearly 2 million
• America’s Newsroom: 1.9 million
• The Faulkner Focus: 1.8 million
• The Story with Martha MacCallum: 1.8 million
• America Reports: 1.75 million

Each of these programs beat the networks’ flagship daytime shows, such as NBC’s Today Third Hour (1.63 million) and ABC’s GMA3 (1.26 million).

Elsewhere, CBS—still reeling from a $20 billion defamation lawsuit filed by President Trump over a misleading 60 Minutes segment—just suffered its lowest-rated week ever for CBS Evening News, with only 3.6 million viewers and 482,000 in the demo.

As mainstream media scrambles for relevance and reshuffles personnel, Fox News remains the undisputed voice of the American majority—backed by the America First agenda, a resurgent Trump White House, and a viewership that isn’t buying what the legacy outlets are selling.