Sen. Ted Cruz brought some much-needed sanity to CNN on Tuesday when he joined The Source host Kaitlan Collins, who insisted that we still do not know why Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin did what he did.
As part of a larger back-and-forth where Cruz claimed that the fact that too many people on the left believe that Kirk’s killer was on the right and deny the role that his pro-trans ideology had in the shooting, Collins claimed, “Okay. Senator, but—but one moment, because you said a lot there. And we don't have a motive yet. We don't know yet. We're waiting. Obviously, we've heard what the governor's had to say, what the FBI director said today.”
That set Cruz off, “Of course, we know. But come on, we don't have a motive yet? We don't—we don't have a motive yet? Really? Really? That's CNN's position?”
Collins tried to claim she was just stating facts, “I mean from law enforcement, Senator.”
However, Cruz scoffed at the idea, “He just happened to fire the gun in celebration. You can't tell the motive yet?” While Collins responded by accusing Cruz of burning a straw man, “Senator, that's not what I said. And I said law enforcement hasn't laid out a direct motive. They've laid out a lot of evidence here, of these messages—”
The point of Cruz’s retort wasn’t to suggest that Collins actually believes the shooter fired into the air and hit Kirk in an inadvertent act of ceebratory foolishness. It was to point out the absurdity of saying we don’t know. As Collins conceded, Utah County officials cited the suspect's text messages with his roommate, where he said he was going to kill Kirk because his “hate” was so extreme he couldn’t be reasoned with. What else does Collins want?
With all that in mind, Cruz continued, “Actually, they have. They've said that he was a left-wing activist who hated Charlie Kirk.”
However, Collins still insisted Cruz was being needlessly argumentative, “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 of what they're pointing in a legal argument than what you're talking about.”
That set off an even more intense exchange where Cruz called Collins “false,” “factually false,” or “objectively false” six times.
All the while Collins continued her ostrich impression, “They have not said a concrete motive of exactly what it was.”
Even if Collins was right, given his text messages, what other motive is there? Charlie Kirk was murdered by a leftist for his political opinions. It really is that simple.
Here is a transcript for the September 16 show:
CNN The Source with Kaitlan Collins
9/16/2025
9:29 PM ET
KAITLAN COLLINS: Okay. Senator, but — but one moment, because you said a lot there. And we don't have a motive yet. We don't know yet. We're waiting. Obviously, we've heard what the governor's had to say, what the FBI director said today.
CRUZ: Of course, we know. But come on, we don't have a motive yet?
COLLINS: We know—
CRUZ: We don't — we don't have a motive yet? Really?
COLLINS: We know what's happening with—
CRUZ: Really? That's CNN's position?
COLLINS: I mean from law enforcement, Senator.
CRUZ: He just happened to fire the gun in celebration. You can't tell the motive yet?
COLLINS: Senator, that's not what I said. And I said law enforcement hasn't laid out a direct motive. They've laid out a lot of evidence here, of these messages—
CRUZ: Actually, they have. They've said that he was a left—wing activist who hated Charlie Kirk.
COLLINS: —and what he should have said to family members and to roommates.
CRUZ: Pardon?
COLLINS: 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 of what they're pointing in a legal argument than what you're talking about.
CRUZ: They have. That statement is false.
COLLINS: And you're not even — we're not even arguing about—
CRUZ: What you just said is false.
COLLINS: —the facts here because—
CRUZ: What you just said is false, Kaitlan.
COLLINS: Senator—
CRUZ: Kaitlan? Kaitlan?
COLLINS: No.
CRUZ: Facts — hold on a second. Let me answer your statement, because what you said is factually false.
COLLINS: Senator, with all due respect—
CRUZ: Law enforcement—
COLLINS: With all due respect, you're — you are putting a lot of statements that I did not say.
CRUZ: So, you don't want facts. OK. Go ahead. Go ahead. Give your speech.
COLLINS: And I want to get back to — we just laid out the facts in the opening of this show, what we learned from prosecutors today.
CRUZ: Okay. You just said law enforcement has not laid out a motive. That is objectively false.
COLLINS: And we just spoke to the Deputy Attorney General. So the—
CRUZ: That is objectively false. What you are saying is objectively false—
COLLINS: They have not said a concrete motive of exactly what it was.
CRUZ: —and CNN should not be engaged in misinformation.
COLLINS: They've laid out every evidence that we know so far.
CRUZ: Kaitlan, answer my question.
COLLINS: It's not misinformation, Senator. You—
