Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas reportedly clashed sharply with CNN host Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday, accusing her and her network of minimizing the ideological motive behind the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Appearing on The Source less than a week after Kirk was gunned down at Utah Valley University, Cruz was incredulous at Collins’s claim that “we don’t have a motive yet.”
“Of course we know. Come on,” Cruz shot back. “We don’t have a motive yet? Really? Really, that’s CNN’s position? He just happened to fire the gun in celebration. You can’t tell the motive here?”
Collins responded that law enforcement had “not put a specific motive” on the record, but Cruz dismissed that explanation as evasive. “Actually, they have,” he interrupted. “They’ve said that he was a left-wing activist who hated Charlie Kirk.”
The tense exchange escalated as Collins insisted she was merely echoing the official posture of investigators. “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.”
Cruz laughed before pushing back even harder. “They have. That statement is false. What you just said is false. What you just said is false, Kaitlan,” he said, repeating the charge several times. “You just said law enforcement has not laid out a motive. That is objectively false. That is objectively false. What you are saying is objectively false, and CNN should not be engaged in misinformation.”
Collins maintained, “It’s not misinformation, senator,” before the segment ended.
The confrontation highlighted the broader battle over media framing of political violence. Conservatives have accused mainstream outlets of downplaying the targeting of right-leaning figures, while eagerly amplifying violence directed at Democrats. For Cruz, the Kirk case offered a striking example.
Authorities last week identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect after a multi-day manhunt. According to officials, Robinson was in a relationship with a transgender roommate and had recently embraced “pro-gay and trans rights” activism alongside broader left-wing politics.
Investigators noted Robinson had accused Kirk of spreading “hate” and allegedly told his partner, “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox was blunt: “It’s very clear to us and to the investigators that this was a person who was deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology.”
Forensic evidence appeared to confirm the political nature of the killing. Bullet casings from the weapon used in the assassination were reportedly etched with anti-fascist slogans, including “Hey fascist! Catch!” as well as lyrics to the Italian protest anthem Bella Ciao.
The slaying of Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist who rose to prominence as founder of Turning Point USA, has sparked national debate over whether America’s rising tide of political violence is being fueled more by left-wing rhetoric than by the right.
Cruz’s clash with Collins was a microcosm of that argument: one side insisting the motive is unmistakable, the other reluctant to say so plainly.
[READ MORE: Trump Sues New York Times, Accuses Paper of “Malicious Defamation”]
