Kaitlan Collins Reports in “The First Spouse: Melania and Doug” for The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper
EPISODE PREMIERES SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 AT 8PM ET/PT
PROMO: https://youtu.be/CnGJMABth2k
NEW YORK, NY – (September 30, 2024) – The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, an Emmy® winning CNN Original, returns with a closer look at the history of the office of the First Lady and who may redefine it for the next generation. “The First Spouse: Melania and Doug” with CNN Anchor Kaitlan Collins premieres Sunday, October 6 at 8pm ET/PT on CNN.
In an unprecedented election full of historic firsts, the spouses of the candidates are breaking the mold in their own right. Former first lady Melania Trump may become only the second woman in US history to return to the East Wing for a second nonconsecutive term, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff could become the first man to ever serve in that role. In this episode, Collins examines the historically high pressure and thankless position of the First Spouse, unpaid and ill-defined yet filled with scrutiny.
“The job description of the first spouse has always been ill-defined, given it really has no definition at all,” Collins said. “Melania Trump pushed the boundaries of how first ladies in the modern era defined it. And we could be on the verge of seeing how Doug Emhoff upends the title once again by becoming the first man to occupy the role. Either way, we are in for a fascinating look at the East Wing in 2025.”
In this episode, Collins breaks down how Melania Trump blazed a new path as First Lady, delaying moving into the White House and enduring reporting of alleged extramarital affairs by her husband. She was the nation’s only First Lady to grow up speaking a language other than English, and her tumultuous tenure in the position was marked by fashion missteps and shirking tradition.
Collins also dives into the story ofDoug Emhoff, the country’s first ever Second Gentleman, who is hoping to become America’s inaugural First Gentleman as well. Emhoff made a name for himself at this year’s Democratic National Convention as a relatable everyman supporting his wife’s career. He also represents a nontraditional family structure, having two children from a prior marriage who call the Vice President “Mamala.”
The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper is executive produced by Susan Chun.
The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper will stream live for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps on Sunday, October 6. “The First Spouse: Melania and Doug” will also be available on demand beginning Monday, October 7 to pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps, and Cable Operator Platforms. Past episodes of The Whole Story are available to stream on demand now on Max.
The Whole Story is also available as a CNN Audio showcast. Visit CNN.com/audio or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
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The CNN Originals group develops, produces and acquires original, long-form unscripted programming for CNN Worldwide. Amy Entelis, executive vice president of Talent, CNN Originals and creative development, oversees the award-winning CNN Originals portfolio that includes the following premium content brands: CNN Original Series, CNN Films, CNN Presents, and the newly formed CNN Studios, an internal production studio which creates long-form programming for CNN’s global platforms. Since 2012, the team has overseen and executive produced more than 45 multi-part documentary series and 60 feature-length documentary films, earning more than 110 awards and 445 nominations for the cable network, including CNN Films’ first Academy Award® for Navalny. Acclaimed titles include the Peabody Award winning and 13-time Emmy® Award-winning Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown; five time Emmy® nominee, Apollo 11, directed by Todd Douglas Miller; Emmy® nominated Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico; the Emmy® Award-nominated “Decades Series”: The Sixties, The Seventies, The Eighties, The Nineties, The 2000s, and The 2010s, executive produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman; The Last Movie Stars, directed by Ethan Hawke about the lives and careers of actors and humanitarians Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman; Grammy® Award nominee Little Richard: I Am Everything, directed by Lisa Cortés; The Many Lives of Martha Stewart; This is Life with Lisa Ling; Primetime Emmy® and duPont-Columbia Award-winning, RBG, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen; See It Loud: The History of Black Television, executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter; Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight in partnership with the BBC; the Producers Guild Award and three-time Emmy® Award-winning Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy; BAFTA nominee and Directors Guild Award winner, Three Identical Strangers, directed by Tim Wardle; and the five-time Emmy® Award-winning United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell; five-time Emmy® Award-winning The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper; and Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?. CNN Originals can be seen on CNN, the CNN Original Hub on Max and discovery+, and for pay TV subscription via CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms.
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