CNN pays former Obama official Juliette Kayyem to be a national security and terrorism analyst, but on Saturday’s Table for Five, she demanded we all “stop looking” for a motive in the assassination of Charlie Kirk because we may never know. Despite the show airing on a different day, at a different time, and having a different name than her daily NewsNight program, host Abby Phillip continued her tradition of not interrupting her liberal guests.
Kayyem was set off by GOP strategist Lance Trover, who made a completely reasonable point when he asked, “Well, will the rhetoric get toned down? I mean, again, I go back to what was on the bullet from this kid was fascism. And that's only coming from one side currently in this debate. And it's on every placard and every poster around the country. I mean, I think it's a valid question, but are they going to live up to what they say they're going to do with the Nazi and fascism and the like?”
Playing dumb, Kayyem responded, “I don't think we know. Just to be clear. I mean, just law enforcement people. I don't think we know the meaning of his message. I—we know his history.”
Trover then had the unenviable task of trying to reason with a flat earther, “‘Bella ciao’ is an anti-fascist thing. It says, ‘Fascist, catch this.’ What are you talking about?’
As Trover had the kind of look on his face that you only get when someone tells you they sincerely believe that 2+2=5, Kayyem thought she had a clever comeback, “Then I’ll give you his history? Right? Think about his history? His history—but this is not the point—“
What history? The part about him saying Kirk was full of hate? The part where he had a transgender partner? The part where Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, whom Kayyem has praised for his handling of the past few days, said he was a leftist?
Trover then wondered, “Why are we debating—this is what I’m talking about: there’s a lack of understanding—“
An unhappy Kayyem then rolled on, “This was my point, not yours. This was my point, not yours. The point is, who cares? A man was killed, and you have yet to say political violence is bad. Period. That's all that people want from the president. That's all. And we are getting this spin up of the you and this and what? Stop counting. Stop looking, because you're not going to—you're not going to divine a perfect motive in this case, I think I think we're looking for it. You're not going to divine it. We generally don’t.”
There is exactly a zero percent chance that if someone assassinated the liberal equivalent to Charlie Kirk, Kayyem would be saying, “Stop looking” for the motive and “Who cares?”
Here is a transcript for the September 13 show:
CNN Table for Five
9/13/2025
10:23 AM ET
LANCE TROVER: Well, will the rhetoric get toned down? I mean, again, I go back to what was on the bullet from this kid was fascism. And that's only coming from one side currently in this debate. And it's on every placard and every poster around the country. I mean, I think it's a valid question, but are they going to live up to what they say they're going to do with the Nazi and fascism and the like? I—yeah.
ABBY PHILLIP: Do you think—
JULIETTE KAYYEM: I don't think we know. Just to be clear. I mean, just law enforcement people. I don't think we know the meaning of his message. I—we know his history.
TROVER: “Bella ciao” is an anti-fascist thing. It says, “Fascist, catch this.” What are you talking about?
KAYYEM: Then I’ll give you his history? Right? Think about his history? His history—but this is not the point—
TROVER: Why are we debating—this is what I’m talking about: there’s a lack of understanding—
KAYYEM: This was my point, not yours. This was my point, not yours. The point is, who cares? A man was killed, and you have yet to say political violence is bad. Period. That's all that people want from the president. That's all. And we are getting this spin up of the you and this and what? Stop counting. Stop looking, because you're not going to—you're not going to divine a perfect motive in this case, I think I think we're looking for it. You're not going to divine it. We generally don’t.
