CNN host Kaitlan Collins and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) argued Tuesday over the motive of the man who shot and killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week.
“We don’t have a motive yet. We don’t know yet, we’re waiting,” Collins said as she hosted Cruz for an interview on her primetime show “The Source.”
“Of course we know. Come on,” Cruz fired back. “We don’t have a motive yet? We don’t have a motive yet? Really? He just happened to fire the gun in celebration. You can’t tell the motive here?”
Collins insisted that law enforcement “hasn’t laid out a direct motive. They’ve laid out a lot of evidence here of these messages.”
“Actually, they have,” Cruz replied. “They’ve said that he was a left-wing activist who hated Charlie Kirk.”
The news anchor pushed back, “Senator, with all due respect, you know exactly what I’m saying.”
“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,” she said.
Cruz then accused Collins of broadcasting misinformation, which she denied.
The exchange, which was first highlighted by Mediaite, came after prosecutors in the case laid out text messages sent between Kirk’s alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, and a roommate who he reportedly confessed to about the shooting.
In one message, Robinson said he had “enough of his hate,” in regard to Kirk and expressed a desire to retrieve a rifle he allegedly used in the assassination.
Utah prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against the suspect.
The killing of the Turning Point USA co-founder has enflamed social media and cable news shows in recent days, with both Republicans and Democrats blaming one another for a growing trend of political violence and toxic discourse online.
