A fiery on-air clash erupted between Senator Ted Cruz and CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins over ‘misinformation’ regarding the motive of Charlie Kirk‘s killer.

Cruz did not hold back during the exchange as he accused Collins of outright lying during Tuesday night’s interview on The Source when she claimed a clear motive for the killing had not been established.

Mounting evidence suggests 22-year-old suspect Tyler Robinson was motivated by left-wing ideology and a personal vendetta.

‘We don’t have a motive yet? Really? That’s CNN’s position?’ Cruz scoffed. ‘He just happened to fire the gun in celebration? You can’t tell the motive here?’

But as Collins tried to clarify that ‘law enforcement hasn’t laid out a direct motive,’ Cruz repeatedly interrupted before doubling down.

‘That statement is false. What you just said is false. What you just said is false, Kaitlan,’ Cruz shot back. ‘You just said law enforcement has not laid out a motive. That is objectively false.’

‘CNN should not be engaged in misinformation,’ he added.

The explosive exchange came just a day after texts messages from Robinson were released which appeared to provide the clearest insight yet into his motivation.

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A fiery on-air clash erupted between Senator Ted Cruz and CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins as the Texas Republican accused Collins and CNN of spreading ‘misinformation’ over the motive behind the assassination of Charlie Kirk

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Cruz did not hold back during the exchange as he accused Collins of outright lying during Tuesday night’s interview on The Source when she claimed law enforcement officials had yet to establish a motive in the killing

‘I had enough of his hatred,’ Robinson is said to have told his transgender partner about Kirk. ‘Some hate can’t be negotiated out.’

Prosecutors say Robinson also admitted to planning the attack in advance and texted about taking the opportunity to ‘take out Charlie Kirk.’

Utah Governor Spencer Cox declared it ‘very clear’ that Robinson was ‘deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology.’

Still, Collins pushed back during the broadcast, attempting to hold the line.

‘Law enforcement has not put a specific motive. They’ve laid out a lot of evidence here of these messages,’ she said. ‘You know that there’s a difference in what they’re putting in a legal argument than what you’re talking about.’

Cruz refused to drop the matter and continued to state his case.

‘They’ve said that he was a left-wing activist who hated Charlie Kirk,’ Cruz argued. ‘What you are saying is objectively false.’

Collins kept her cool but looked visibly frustrated.

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Mounting evidence suggests 22-year-old suspect Tyler Robinson was motivated by left-wing ideology and a personal vendetta

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According to law enforcement officials, Robinson fired a single round from a rooftop, striking Kirk in the neck. He was later apprehended without incident

‘Senator, that’s not what I said,’ she implored. ‘We just laid out the facts in the opening of this show… and we just spoke to the deputy attorney general.

‘They did not set a concrete motive of exactly what it was. They laid out every evidence that we know so far,’ she insisted. ‘It’s not misinformation, senator.’

Collins attempted to steer the conversation toward broader concerns about political violence.

‘Senator, I’m the one asking questions here,’ she said sharply as Cruz pushed on with his attack.

When asked whether right-wing groups should also face scrutiny, Cruz agreed in theory but quickly pivoted to blame the left.

‘There is some violence on both sides, but it is the left that overwhelmingly celebrates this,’ he said. ‘You look at Bluesky and it is a cesspool of leftists celebrating the murder of Charlie Kirk.’

Collins pushed back one final time.

‘Senator, I don’t think that anyone should celebrate someone’s murder regardless of what that person believes in.’

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FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino revealed this week that the suspect had grown ‘more political and withdrawn’ in the months leading up to the attack

Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested and charged in the fatal shooting of Kirk, 31, during a public event at Utah Valley University on September 10.

According to law enforcement officials, Robinson fired a single round from a rooftop, striking Kirk in the neck. He was later apprehended without incident.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino revealed this week that the suspect had grown ‘more political and withdrawn’ in the months leading up to the attack.

‘It appears from the data we’ve accumulated that this ideology had infected him and had taken over,’ Bongino said. ‘He was intent on making Charlie his target and people may have known in advance.’

FBI Director Kash Patel echoed those remarks in an interview with Fox News.

‘There was a text message exchange where he, the suspect, specifically stated that he had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and he was going to do that.’

When asked about motive, Patel cited Robinson’s own words, ‘Some hatred cannot be negotiated with.’

Prosecutors have not officially filed a motive in court, citing the need for a trial.

The suspect allegedly told his parents that “there is too much evil and the guy spreads too much hate”, in a reference to Kirk, according to the indictment.

Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray declined to answer when asked if Kirk had been targeted for his transgender views. “That is for a jury to decide,” he said.