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Suspect In Kirk Shooting Being Held Without Bail In Utah County Jail; Utah Governor Encourages Political Restraint After Kirk Killing; Search For Motive In Killing Of Charlie Kirk Intensifies; Trump To NATO: Stop Buying Russian Oil If You Want U.S. To Impose "Major" Sanctions On Moscow. NATO Launches "Eastern Flank" Operation After Russian Drone Incident; Police: Man Beheaded With Machete At Dallas Motel; Lawmakers Seek Increased Security Amid Political Violence Concerns. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired September 13, 2025 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:00:00]

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN ANCHOR: -- is perhaps more relevant than ever as we see what happened in the United States this week.

That's all we have time for. Don't forget you can find all our shows online as podcasts at CNN.com/audio and on all other major platforms.

I'm Christiane Amanpour in London. Thank you for watching and I'll see you again next week.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone, thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin this hour with the intensifying investigation into the accused killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Right now, state and federal authorities are digging into the past of 22-year-old suspect Tyler Robinson. A search was conducted at his apartment yesterday in southern Utah after officials announced that he had been taken into custody.

Kirk's widow is also speaking publicly for the first time since her husband's death, issuing a defiant message to the suspect and vowing Kirk's legacy will continue.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

ERIKA KIRK, WIFE OF CHARLIE KIRK: If you thought that my husband's mission was powerful before, you have no idea. You have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country.

The movement my husband built will not die. It won't. I refuse to let that happen.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Marybel Gonzalez is outside the Utah jail where the suspect is being held. Marybel, what more are we learning? MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. Well, he is being held here with no bail and he is facing initial charges including aggravated murder. Now he will have his first court appearance on Tuesday. He will be facing formal charges then.

There are still so many questions in this case, Fredricka, but we're starting to learn more details from those who knew Robinson, including an electrician who worked with him just a few weeks ago. He described him as someone who was quiet and who didn't really talk about politics unless someone else brought it up, but that electrician said that they were aware that he had some dislike for President Trump and Kirk himself.

Robinson seems to have been, you know, different to different people. Law enforcement, though, says they also found that that sentiment was echoed by Robinson's family members. They even brought up a family dinner where Robinson allegedly talked about his disagreement with Charlie Kirk.

Now, we also had heard from his former classmates in high school. They also -- they actually said that Robinson was politically conservative just like his family. And, in fact, they said he supported President Trump ahead of the 2020 election. Now, voter registration records we found show that Robinson was -- is currently registered as unaffiliated.

Now, another thing we heard about Robinson is that he was very big into gaming. This is notable because law enforcement, they found engravings on bullet casings and a rifle that they were able to recover from an area near the campus, and those messages included a mix of memes and allusions to video games, anti-fascist messages as well.

Now, whatever the exact motive may have been, what we do know for sure is that this shooting has created a lot of political tension in the country, and so much so that lawmakers are afraid of further political violence and their own safety. Here is what Utah's governor had to say about the moment.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

GOV. SPENCER COX (R), UTAH: I don't think it's a surprise to most people that something terrible like this could happen. You know, President Trump was almost assassinated a year ago. So the question is, is this the end of a very dark year? Does this wake us up in a way that we actually change, or is this just the beginning of something far, far worse?

(END VIDEOCLIP)

GONZALEZ: Now, the governor did go on to say he believed that Robinson acted alone. Now, we still don't know very many details about the actual arrest, like whether Robinson cooperated with law enforcement, did he resist arrest, what was said during that interaction. Those details will likely be presented in the charging documents that we're expecting to see early next week. Fredricka? WHITFIELD: All right. Marybel Gonzalez, thanks so much, in Utah.

All right, let's discuss more now with Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jason Pack. Jason, great to see you. So help us understand what kind of clues or evidence are investigators examining or, you know, looking for, in addition to what they already have, to help determine a motive here. Is that a priority, a motive?

[12:05:01]

JASON PACK, RETIRED FBI SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT: Absolutely. Good afternoon, Fred.

So the most visible part of this case has now concluded the FBI and the Utah Department of Public Safety, wrapping up that manhunt, that fast-paced, moving, whodunit portion of the case. But really quietly behind the scenes, there's been this second version of the investigation happening. And that's the forensic and the investigation of the talking to people and finding those clues.

So now they know the who, they're trying to figure out the why. And that why can be important because that's going to be the nuts and bolts of putting that case together. So in a couple of days, when we see these formal charges come out, they'll be able to prove these elements in court. So that's why you've seen the search warrant yesterday in Utah at the subject's residence.

You're going to see more of that, probably more interviews. A lot of times, people focus on the high-tech versions of these, like the social media clues and what's in the laptop or the computers or what online services and places has the suspect been going. But really talking to people, we forget about that sometimes. Just talking to associates, family members, relatives can really provide some context about that why and why now.

WHITFIELD: And apparently, the suspect is reportedly no longer, you know, talking to, cooperating with investigators. But a lot is being analyzed, including bullet casings that they found etched with messages like, hey, fascist, catch. How will items like these be pivotal in the investigation?

PACK: Well, even though he may not be talking, they're going to also probably get search warrants for his DNA and for fingerprints and those types of things. So they'll be able to compare what they get from him now against what they found at the clue. So that'll put him there physically.

And then any kind of phone data will be able to put him there as well and maybe track him all the way from where he came up to where he was there and then back. So all these key pieces of forensic evidence will be key in putting that court case together when he goes to trial later on.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then, you know, this week, we saw a lot, even though it was, what, just over 30 hours before they, you know, named a suspect as the, you know, alleged, you know, assassin here. There was a lot of back and forth during the manhunt, you know, to find Charlie Kirk's killer.

Contradictory statements were put out by law enforcement about whether it was the person of interest or, you know, the FBI director posting Wednesday that a subject was in custody before having to walk back that claim. So analyze what you supposed happened there.

PACK: Well, I haven't been a part of that. And even in the Boston Marathon bombings, we saw similar things where there was a report of we got him that went out. And what that meant was that they had a photograph of the Boston bomber, a fuzzy photo at that time.

But somebody got that message out and it turned into, hey, they've arrested somebody with the Boston Marathon bombing that caused a frenzy at the federal courthouse. And people were calling the press (ph). I had to evacuate the building, including a daycare that was there.

So these bits and pieces of information that get misinterpreted sometimes kind of in the -- we call the fog of war in the first parts of that. The information is rapidly changing. What you hear initially is often changed when investigators and agents go out there, interview the people and get the actual facts and bring that back.

So during the early times of that, it's really hard to do that. So you have to be careful what you put out. You want to make sure it's accurate. People want it to be fast and immediate, but you want to make sure that it's the right information.

WHITFIELD: CNN is also reporting that there's growing frustration within the FBI over Director Kash Patel. Some employees, you know, saying they find it galling that Patel claimed, you know, personal credit for the most successful parts of the investigation, you know, praising law enforcement, even this, after so many layoffs of people within the FBI.

And even his remarks that certainly underscored a personal relationship that he had with Charlie Kirk. In any way, does that -- will those things compromise the investigation or compromise the prosecution phase of this investigation?

PACK: I don't think so. I think, Fred, what's really important is that the men and women who do the work of the FBI every day, the people I worked with for 21 years, get up every day. They don't care who the administration is. They don't care who's in charge.

Their calling is to serve the American people. And the men and women that I know that do that in the bureau still are -- don't care who gets the credit. They just want to bring justice to the people who are the victims and bringing the criminals to justice, too.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jason Pack, great talking to you. Thank you so much.

PACK: Thanks, Fred.

All right, the shooting death of Charlie Kirk has hit people in Utah especially hard. Not only did the assassination take place in that state, but the suspected gunman is also from Utah.

I'm joined now by Phil Lyman, he is a former Republican Utah State Representative. He was at the event at the Utah Valley University where Charlie Kirk was shot.

[12:10:04]

And you actually met with Kirk backstage before the event started, I understand. So thank you so much for being with us. And my condolences for your loss of your friend and all that your state is really going through right now. So I wonder if you can kind of tell me how you're feeling this morning.

PHIL LYMAN (R), FORMER UTAH STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Yes, well, yes, thank you. And I did meet with Charlie. He's a friend. And I had a chance to talk to him.

It was exciting. You know, nobody anticipates what's going to happen next or we would have handled things, you know, in a different way. But to be there with him, to watch him interact with those college students.

And I was standing backstage there and there was a handicapped man that says, hey, do you know Charlie Kirk? And I said, I do. And he said, can you get me a hat? And I said, I can. And I waved to Charlie.

I said, hey, you know, we're here. And he was about to toss a hat until he saw who I was pointing at. He came over with the biggest smile on his face, the most kind gesture, and handed the hat to this friend of mine.

And that's kind of the last memory that I have of Charlie was that really very, very genuine interaction. But then, you know, this is not -- I like what the person said before, kind of the fog of war. You feel like, well, this is right here. This is in Utah. This is Utah Valley.

Without a full appreciation for the impact that this has had on the nation and on the world. And so watching the coverage in the last few days, you really start to feel not just the gravity of this event, but kind of like who Charlie Kirk was. And he's having such a major influence on so many people, you know, while he was alive and since his death.

Such a major, major influence. And so many people were saying, I'm not going to stay intimidated on my views and my opinions moving forward. I'm going to speak up. I'm going to do these things.

And more than anything, the narrative that he was, you know, a disrespectful, unkind person has been, I think, completely destroyed. He was a debater. He wanted to talk. He wanted -- you know, and the person who ended the debate with the bullet is just, I don't know, it's the contrast there of who he is versus how his life ended are really, really stark to people. And I think it's making some real introspection on people who have been on the sidelines in the past. WHITFIELD: I wonder if you could tell me more about this impact that you're referring to, you know, the impact that he made in life and now also in death. We heard from his widow who said, you know, that his message and everything that he stands for is going to be unleashed, you know, and or is being unleashed in a way that, you know, can't be anyone could have anticipated.

What do you think she means by that? Talk to me about like his resonating impact and how you see it, I guess, transforming as a result of his death.

LYMAN: Believers. Those who believe in eternal life, believe that Charlie's not gone. He's just in another place and that his effect and his intention of helping people is going to continue on and in a much greater way. And we believe the Bible, we believe in Christ, we believe those things.

And so, all of those things that he taught the people who are, again, maybe intimidated or just timid about sharing that belief, I think are saying, you know, this is not a fantasy. Christ is King. Charlie is correct. And we do love people and we're going to stand up for people instead of taking the narrative of people who are really undermining the, I don't know, the bedrock foundation of our society, which is our families.

And in Utah, that should be -- that should hit home, you know, especially strong because we are such a family centered state. And honestly, it's as simple as that. It's just families and, you know, personhood and parenthood and taking responsibility for your life and for your decisions.

WHITFIELD: Obviously, this was very shocking. And, I mean, you described for me, if people in that area still feel like they're in shock. I've heard so many describe, you know, the community near the university as one that is so peaceful. People, you know, have their doors unlocked.

And now even with this suspect who is from the general area, I mean, give me an idea of what people in the area are thinking or feeling, what they're reflecting on now. And if this rattles, you know, their ideas about where they live, the climate that we as Americans are living in, if they've expressed any of that kind of specificity with you.

LYMAN: Yes, no, I appreciate that question because it really does -- it is such a local thing. And, you know, everybody I talk to, they're like, I live 0.72 miles from where that happened. I live right here. I grew up right there.

[12:15:09]

You know, I'm four hours south of Orem. But my mother was born and raised in Orem, and all of my relatives are right there next to UVU campus. Childhood playing area, you know, we spent a lot of time there. So you feel all these connections and people are looking at this and saying, well, this is, number one, I really liked, you know, Charlie Kirk, or maybe I really disliked Charlie Kirk, but I was connected in a way and now so much more connected because it's right here in Utah.

The -- one of the first questions that people were asking is like, why here? Why in Utah? And I think, you know, the contrast between what Charlie Kirk stood for and then the violent way that he was killed, I think there's something symbolic about that huge dichotomy of those events.

And so in a way it's so impactful because of the goodness of all those, you know, 3,000 college students, really innocent college students who were, you know, for the most part, very supportive and they watched that happen in front of their eyes. It's going to change the trajectory of that group of people. And if Charlie's wishes are fulfilled, then it will change it in a very positive way.

WHITFIELD: Utah's governor has been very vocal in the aftermath of this murder, calling on the nation to rise above the political hate and violence. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

COX: We can always point the finger at the other side. And at some point, we have to find an off-ramp or it's going to get much, much worse. History will dictate if this is a turning point for our country. But every single one of us gets to choose right now if this is a turning point for us.

I desperately call on every American, Republican, Democrat, Liberal, Progressive, Conservative, MAGA, all of us to please, please, please follow what Charlie taught me.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

WHITFIELD: I mean, you ran against Governor Cox in the last Republican gubernatorial primary. And while you may have been political adversaries, I'm wondering if you are finding common ground in this moment with that kind of pledge that he is asking people to make. What do you think?

LYMAN: I will say I see irony in the comment, mainly because any honest observer who is watching that saw it for what it was, which was an evil act. I didn't hear right off the bat, oh, this is radical left and radical right. This is -- it wasn't partisan. Statements like that honestly create a partisan flavor to this that I don't think belongs here. And obviously it will happen.

And I've seen it on social media since then, and it turns into a political debate. But at its core, this is an evil act to a good person, a husband and a father. And I don't think that that is a right or left question.

And I've seen that. I've seen people who really despised Charlie Kirk for his ideology who have said, you know, what a horrible act this was. And I think that is the message.

I -- yes, I -- I'm a -- I'm probably biased in this situation because I am so close and have been very close to the governor throughout the legislature. And, yes, I kind of reject the -- I call it manipulation, the idea of disagree better and the -- you know, to couch your opinions based on what other people might think. They call it the dignity index, these things.

I really -- I honestly reject that. I think people, good people should speak from their heart and their hearts right now tell them, you know, the condolences for Charlie Kirk, for his children, for his wife, and to stand up and speak your mind and have public debate. And the opposite message that's coming from my standpoint is, you know, let's drop the rhetoric.

Let's not talk about this. Let's all, you know, kind of like calm down and put your phones away and things like this. It comes across disingenuous to me and I apologize for that because I --

WHITFIELD: That's OK.

LYMAN: -- respect the --

WHITFIELD: So I guess I'm trying to understand you're saying -- you're interpreting that -- and even the President of the United States made some comments, you know, talking about, you know, placing blame. And -- so you're saying it's not necessarily about opposing thoughts, but is it the language that comes with opposing thoughts?

LYMAN: Well, I think it's -- yes, I think we're talking about the same thing. When you start to describe things politically and using words like, let's drop the hate to people who are not feeling hateful, they're feeling grief and genuine connection to this horrific event, I say, you know, this is a time for introspection, not speculation and not -- and certainly not lecturing.

[12:20:13]

And I guess that's -- it comes across as like a virtue signal or something from -- like, I'm higher than you and let me tell you how you should think and feel and act in this situation. And the language that's used there is like, you know, to drop the hate and things like that, to people who are not feeling hate.

Honestly, it creates a psychological disconnect and I think it starts to create an atmosphere that is not healthy. In the name of -- let's all be healthy, let's all have public discussion, it's like -- in the process of that, you're creating a stage and framing it in a way that I don't think it's framed that way, at least in the hearts and minds of the mass of honest people who are just seeing with their eyes and hearing with their ears and making judgments that are not hateful and not attacking anybody.

With that said, you know, the police officers did a fantastic job. The university police were on site. I was there, I watched it happen and it's -- my heart is just with those officers. I stopped by, you know, about midnight that night to see if there was anything that I could do to, you know, bring them some donuts or energy drinks or something.

I love those people. I love what they're doing. And there's not a -- this is not a hate-driven response. The action may have been hate- driven. I think it's probably -- I think it probably has some deeper connections and we'll find that out over time if this was, you know, coordinated or not.

But the initial response to me is -- and to the governor's credit, it's wise for a leader to say, let's not, you know, hate, but I think he's speaking to a group of people who don't hate.

WHITFIELD: All right, very powerful sentiments. Former Representative Phil Lyman, glad you could be with us. Thank you so much.

LYMAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up, President Trump says he's ready to put, quote, "major sanctions" on Russia, but only if NATO nations agree to his demands. Details on what he's asking for.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:27:00]

WHITFIELD: All right, new today, President Trump issuing a blunt ultimatum to NATO countries, saying he's ready to impose major sanctions on Russia, but only if they stop buying Russian oil. Moscow said this week that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine are going nowhere. It also comes just days after Russian drones were shot down inside Polish airspace.

We've got full coverage of these developments. With us now is CNN Senior White House Reporter Betsy Klein and Correspondent Nada Bashir in London.

Betsy, to you first. Is this another shift in the relationship between the President and NATO allies?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, it could mark a shift, but President Trump issuing a major ultimatum to these NATO countries saying that the U.S. is ready to apply major sanctions on Russia only if NATO countries agree to do the same and to stop buying Russian oil. He said this in a letter to these countries issued earlier this morning.

And the President also said in that letter that those countries should significantly ramp up those tariffs on China to 50 to 100 percent, marking a major show of force. But meeting President Trump's demands would mark a major shift in policy for these NATO countries. It's really unclear at this point if there is going to be collective interest in taking these steps.

But I want to read to you from the President's letter. He says, quote, "NATO's commitment to win has been far less than 100 percent, and the purchase of Russian oil by some has been shocking. It greatly weakens your negotiating position and bargaining power over Russia." Now, many of these countries still import Russian liquefied natural gas, as well as fossil fuels. Turkey, which is a NATO member, is also a major importer of Russian oil. And this is also generally not how these countries approach the use of tariffs. So all of this setting up a major test for President Trump's influence.

And it all comes as momentum toward ending Russia's war in Ukraine has significantly stalled in recent days. The President says that his patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin is running out and running out fast. And he was asked yesterday how he could put more pressure on Russia. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is clamping down on Vladimir Putin --

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, it'll be hitting very hard on with sanctions to banks and having to do with oil and tariffs also. But I've already done it. I've done a lot.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

KLEIN: The President's latest demands risk prolonging this conflict. And time is a valuable commodity for Putin. It gives Russia the ability to make more gains on the battlefield and shore up control of some of those occupied areas, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Betsy, thanks so much.

And Nada, to you, NATO countries have launched what they're calling Operation Eastern Century in reaction to Russia's incursion into Poland's airspace. Where do things stand?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We expect this operation to be launched into the coming days. This is a collaboration between NATO member states, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Denmark and other nations. The intention, according to the NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, is to bolster defenses along NATO's eastern flank in the face of growing Russian threats and aggression. This is, of course, something that is more of a preparedness exercise, of course, demonstrating NATO's positive posture in the face of potential Russian aggression.

And we're expecting to see military hardware, fighter jets deployed from these nations as part of that operation. Of course, as you mentioned, Fredricka, this follows that incursion into Polish airspace by Russian drones, the majority of which, according to Poland's leader, came from Belarus. Now, of course, it's important to remember that all of this is happening as Russia and Belarus carry out joint military drills.

And that has certainly set the alliance on edge somewhat. The last time we saw drills of this sort is back in 2021. And some Western military officials have said that served as a screen or pretext for Russia's eventual invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Now this day, just looking like those military drills are at a much smaller scale than the previous drills. The vast majority of Russia's combat capabilities are tied up in the war in Ukraine, particularly in Donbas region at this current point in time.

But there is certainly a feeling of NATO alliance members being on edge as we continue to see Russia bolstering its own defenses and seemingly trying to show its military capabilities in the region. And of course, now we're hearing these remarks from the U.S. President. Clearly some mounting pressure there on NATO's members to do more, particularly as Betsy mentioned, as these ceasefire talks and negotiations appear to have soared. Fredricka?

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Nada Bashir in London and Betsy Klein, thank you so much.

All right, just ahead, the mayor of Memphis is speaking out a day after the President said his administration would start to send federal reinforcements to that city as part of his efforts to crack down on crime. What the mayor of Memphis just told CNN about when he found out about those plans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:36:40]

WHITFIELD: All right, telling you this story is going to be very disturbing and it's likely to be very upsetting to many of you. Police say a man was beheaded by a suspect wielding a machete at a Dallas motel, the attack happening in front of the victim's wife and son. And authorities have identified the suspect as a Cuban national who officials say is in the U.S. illegally. CNN's Rafael Romo is here to tell us more about what is a really horrible brutal assault that you're sharing with us.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. And there's no other way around that, Fred. Really, it is very disturbing. It is a very disturbing story. And officials say the suspect, the Cuban national, is being held without bond on a charge of capital murder by terror threat and has a lengthy criminal history that includes serious crimes.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, those crimes include childhood sex abuse, grand theft of a motor vehicle, false imprisonment and carjacking. CNN requested more detail about those allegations, including when and where they allegedly took place, but ICE did not provide any so far. Anyway, CNN cannot independently verify the accusations and we need again to warn our viewers that some of the details in this case are gruesome.

According to the court affidavit filed in the case, the suspect identified by the Dallas Police Department as 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez has admitted to using a machete to kill a man. The affidavit also says that Cobos-Martinez was working in a motel room when the victim, identified as Chandra Nagamallaiah, asked an unidentified witness working with the suspect to translate a request not to use a broken washing machine. According to the affidavit, the request made the suspect so upset that he pulled out a machete and started cutting and stabbing the victim multiple times, even after he ran to the hotel office, at one point pushing away Nagamallaiah's wife and son as they attempted to make him stop. The 911 call indicates Cobos-Martinez didn't stop at stabbing the victim multiple times.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now to that stabbing the suspect has a machete and fire is noticing that he is actually cutting someone's head off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Dallas police say this violent crime will not go unpunished.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRENCE RHODES, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF, DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT: The preliminary investigation terms that the suspect cut the victim with an edge weapon several times. Dallas Fire Rescue responded to the scene where the victim died. The suspect is in custody and charges are pending.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And as you would expect, Fred, people in Dallas struggle to put into words the reaction when asked by CNN affiliate KTVT the day after the gruesome murder.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIANNA ERWIN, AREA RESIDENT: I find it sick, disgusting. It just -- it -- it just -- I'm speechless.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kind of out of the norm and it's mind blowing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a statement Thursday announcing it had lodged a detainer for the federal arrest and removal of Cobos-Martinez, whom ICE called a depraved criminal illegal alien from Cuba. In a statement atop DHS, officials said that this is exactly why we are removing criminal illegal aliens to third countries.

[12:39:59]

President Trump and Secretary Noem are no longer allowing barbaric criminals to indefinitely remain in America. If you come to our country illegally, you could end up in Eswatini, Uganda, South Sudan, or CECOT, referring of course to the notorious prison for alleged gang members in El Salvador, where U.S. Officials have sent undocumented migrants during the current Trump administration.

President Trump and several officials in his administration have used serious crimes committed by people accused of being in the country legally as the reason why a tough immigration crackdown is needed across the United States. We have heard it before, but again, such a disturbing case. Fred?

WHITFIELD: It is indeed. All right, Rafael Romo, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

All right, still to come. There are renewed concerns about political violence against lawmakers in the U.S. after the killing of Charlie Kirk. How the country's leaders are responding, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:45:33]

WHITFIELD: After Charlie Kirk's killing and other recent political attacks, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are contending with how to engage with the public going forward. CNN Capitol Hill reporter Camila DeChalus is joining us right now. Camilla, what are lawmakers saying?

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Well, several lawmakers are speaking out, really condemning this type of political violence. And they say that the death of Charlie Kirk really underscores just how heightened this political environment has become in the U.S. and really stresses how serious they need to take more safety concerns and precautions, but also really take seriously these security threats that are coming against lawmakers and also local officials.

For example, you have Republican Representative Nancy Mace speaking out, saying that she's considering taking more security measures. And also you have Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego talking about how their canceling campaign events happen this very weekend. Take a listen to what AOC just said just a day ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): Whether it is a member of Congress, whether it is the President of the United States, to assume and assert and cast blame when the FBI has failed to even apprehend the assailant is absolutely an irresponsible action. We must come together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DECHALUS: And Fred, this is really a message you've heard from even Republican lawmakers and Democratic lawmakers that now is really a time of unity. And they need to stress that rather than stoking more flammatory comments or things that can really stoke just more political violence in this country and to really underscore just how serious these threats have become against local officials and lawmakers, you have the Princeton University, they have this initiative that tracks political violence in this country.

And they said that more than 300 instances of threats and harassment against local officials happened this year. That is a 9 percent increase over the last year.

WHITFIELD: All right. Camila DeChalus, thank you so much. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:52:17]

WHITFIELD: All right, time now for Champions for Change, a series that shines a light on innovators, men and women who have found creative ways to solve problems in their communities and around the world. Today, CNN anchor Erin Burnett introduces us to her champion, Kara Hartigan Whelan, who is the president of the Westchester Land Trust. Kara not only protects farms and forests in New York, but also teaches children to grow what they eat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have three squashes.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Wait, can you do this pepper too? Oh, your hands are so full. What's your name?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Max.

BURNETT: Max, OK. Do you know how to harvest this? She was showing me. I don't know how. You want, oh, you do twist it. OK.

BURNETT (voice-over): Max is learning to grow real food in real dirt.

BURNETT: Almost got it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There you go. Good job.

BURNETT: Awesome, Max.

BURNETT (voice-over): Something rare in America today.

BURNETT: What are these? Do you know what you're watering? Collard greens. Those are delicious.

BURNETT (voice-over): Kara Hartigan Whelan leads the Westchester Land Trust.

KARA HARTIGAN WHELAN, PRESIDENT, WESTCHESTER LAND TRUST: Westchester Land Trust is one of the 1,300 land trusts in the country. Together we protect more than 60 million acres of land.

BURNETT: Sixty million?

WHELAN: Yes.

BURNETT: Wow.

BURNETT (voice-over): She's turning conservation into a fight for healthy food and stronger kids. WHELAN: I think children like to have ownership and they like to have a say. And so if you invite them into the work early, there's a lot of buy in that you may not see otherwise.

BURNETT (voice-over): Kara has literally helped hundreds of kids get their very first taste healthy food.

WHELAN: I made a commitment that I would spend the rest of my life trying to protect natural areas that other people could benefit from and experience the land that we protect safeguards our communities.

BURNETT (voice-over): Like Stuart's Fruit Farm, family run since 1828.

BOB STUART, STUART'S FRUIT FARM: My dad's been approached since the 50s about selling the place, big corporations to small developers. And I said, no, we're not going to sell.

BURNETT (voice-over): Kara fought for 10 years to save it.

BETSY STUART, STUART'S FRUIT FARM: One man gave me a proposition. He said, oh, you've got two days to look it over. And I said to him, let me look at it. I took it and ripped it right in front of his face. I said, I need two days. I only needed two seconds.

BOB STUART: My dad passed it on to me, and we're going to pass it on to the next generation.

BURNETT: Farms like this are becoming increasingly rare. It is really hard for them to survive.

BOB STUART: Mother Nature can be good and it can be cruel. Two years ago, it rained every weekend, which hurt business, but cut it down about 40 percent. We had $100 left in our savings.

BETSY STUART: But we made it.

BOB STUART: We got -- we got through.

[12:55:01]

BURNETT: What happens when something like that is lost? Suddenly it becomes a development.

WHELAN: Just across the street from Stuart's, actually, there is a development, so a farm was developed fully. And so you can actually see what happens. I visited Stuart's as a child in school. And to see that farm finally permanently protected. Words can't describe how meaningful it is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, how you doing?

BURNETT: How you feeling?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.

BURNETT (voice-over): For me, this is personal. My dad spent decades protecting farmland in Maryland, including our own.

BURNETT: Like the fence?

This is where I had one of the schools in my imaginary town. This was the school.

Your mommy used to cut the grass.

Actually recently asked my dad why he did that. He said it just felt good that the place that I love is never going to change. It can never be turned into a development. It was that love of land that my father had that has always inspired me and given me an appreciation for what conservation can do.

Your need is increasing right now, but the funding has gone down. I mean, as part of all of the cuts in Washington and the things that are happening. I mean, how significant has the cuts been for you?

WHELAN: It's put pressure on our other fundraising sources and it's also just led to just an unknowing that leads to anxiety and just trying to figure out when we're going to need to replace the fence.

BURNETT: What do you want people to know to sort of understand about the connection between eating healthier food and preserving the land, land conservation?

WHELAN: We need land to grow food on. It's just that simple. If we don't have these farms, we won't have that local food.

BURNETT: You grow your own tomatoes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, but not this year. Our garden got destroyed by mint. The mint took over the garlic.

BURNETT: Oh, the mint.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And that does happen, that mint. All right, be sure to tune in tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern for Champions for Change, a one hour special hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta. And we'll be right back.

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