Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, clashed with CNN host Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday during a heated exchange over the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Cruz accused the network of spreading “misinformation” as Collins pushed back on his claims.
On her program The Source, Collins said, “We don’t have a motive yet. We don’t know yet. We’re waiting. Obviously, we’ve heard what the governor has had to say, what the FBI director had to say today.”
Cruz quickly fired back. “Of course we know. Come on, we don‘t have a motive yet? We don’t have a motive yet, really? That’s CNN’s position? He just happened to fire the gun in celebration. You can’t tell the motive here?” he said.
Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. FBI officials and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox have said the accused gunman, Tyler Robinson, held a “leftist ideology” and had grown increasingly radicalized in recent years. Newly released texts allegedly showed Robinson admitting to the shooting and writing that he had “enough of his hatred.”
Collins pushed back, arguing she hadn’t denied evidence but pointed out law enforcement had not yet released a specific legal motive. “I’m not arguing with you politically. I’m saying that law enforcement has not put a specific motive. You know that there’s a difference of what they’re pointing in a legal argument than what you’re talking about,” she said.
Cruz doubled down. “What you are saying is objectively false, and CNN should not be engaged in misinformation,” he said, as the two repeatedly talked over one another. Collins responded that she was only stating the facts.
The exchange then shifted to political groups. Collins asked whether Cruz wanted “right-wing groups” investigated, pointing to his prior remarks about left-wing financing of protests. Cruz answered that anyone involved in violence should face prosecution, but criticized what he called CNN’s “bothsidesism.”
“Yes, there is some violence on both sides, but it is the left that overwhelmingly celebrates this,” Cruz said. “It is leftists that have been celebrating. You look at Bluesky, and it is a cesspool of leftists celebrating the murder of Charlie Kirk.”
Collins replied that no one should celebrate Kirk’s assassination before wrapping the interview.