CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins appeared visibly triggered after Stephen Colbert's comment on her being 'objective' drew laughter from his audience.
The journalist, 32, was an accidental target of the Late Show host after he said CNN 'reports the news as it is', which Colbert admitted was not intended to be a joke.
But Colbert's audience clearly saw the funny side, as they erupted in hysterics when he said: 'I know you guys are objective over (at CNN).'
'Is that supposed to be a laugh line?' Collins responded, to which Colbert answered: 'It wasn't supposed to be... but I guess it is.'
CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins chimed in on the US presidential election during an appearance on Stephen Colbert's talk show on Monday night
Collins reacted after Colbert's audience laughed as he said CNN would be 'objective' and 'reports the news as it is'
The accidental jibe at Collins came as she was discussing the state of the US presidential race on Monday night.
Collins said Donald Trump's campaign had been derailed by President Biden dropping out of the race and replaced by Kamala Harris, which she said 'threw him on his heels.'
'He's not really sure how to go after Vice-President Harris,' she continued.
'He knew his attack lines on President Biden, but he has really struggled with how to go after someone who is 20 years younger, who is a different gender, who is a different race.
'It has kind of been this moment where he has not been able to coalesce around a single attack line.'
While Collins' perspective on the race echoes that of many pundits in recent weeks - particularly following Trump's remarks on how Harris 'became a Black person' for political points - the suggestion that CNN is 'objective' drew laughter.
The suggestion that CNN is 'objective' in its news gathering drew laughter on Colbert' late night show
Collins has risen fast through the ranks of CNN in recent years, becoming the network's prime-time anchor last summer.
But in that time she has drawn scrutiny several times from conservatives who questioned her coverage, including a particularly feisty town hall with Donald Trump last May.
Trump dubbed her a 'nasty person' after grilling him on why he had taken classified documents to Mar-a-Lago.
She was also once barred from a Trump administration press conference after asking 'inappropriate' questions of the then-president in 2021.
Following her clash with Trump at the May town hall, conservative commentator Megyn Kelly led the criticisms as she branded her a 'train wreck' who was 'ill-equipped' to deal with the former president.
Collins' objectivity was also brought into question by critics earlier this year when some viewers accused her of grinning on-air after Trump was found guilty of 34 felonies.
