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Details Emerge about Kirk Shooting Suspect; Finger-Pointing Grows in Wake of Kirk Shooting; Rubio, Netanyahu to Hold Joint Press Conference. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired September 15, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: It was a tight defense that made the difference. Safety Andrew Mukuba coming up with a big fourth-quarter interception right here to deny Patrick Mahomes a scoring opportunity.

[06:00:14]

And finally, a new animated film took the top spot at the U.S. box office all the way from Japan.

"Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" opened this weekend to an estimated 70 million bucks. That breaks a record previously -- previously set 26 years ago by "Pokemon," the first movie.

That does it for us. Thank you for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Brian Abel in Washington, D.C.

CNN THIS MORNING with Audie Cornish starts right now.

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: The suspect in Charlie Kirk's assassination is not talking to investigators, but his roommate is. CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SPENCER COX (R), UTAH: But the roommate was a romantic partner, a male transitioning to female.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: The search for a motive in a murder that shattered a bitterly divided nation. And pointing fingers. Can the country heal when the president wants to pin Kirk's death on the left?

And bashing Kash? Why some of the president's supporters are calling for the removal of the FBI director.

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MAYOR PAUL YOUNG (D), MEMPHIS: I did not ask for the National Guard, and I don't think it's the way to drive down crime.

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CORNISH: President Trump preparing to send the National Guard to Memphis, whether the mayor there likes it or not.

Secretary of State Rubio in Israel, calling for peace in the holy land. But is Prime Minister Netanyahu listening?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): My party is acting in a way they have forgotten. They have forgotten one of the reasons why we lost.

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CORNISH: Are Democrats doomed to repeat history? A warning from one of their own.

It is 6 a.m. here on the East Coast. Here's a live look at New York City.

Good morning, everybody. It is Monday, September 15th. And I want to thank you for joining us here on CNN. I'm Audie Cornish. And here's where we're going to start.

The latest on the investigation into the shooting of Charlie Kirk, as law enforcement looks to answer critical questions about the suspect.

So, over the weekend, Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed police are looking into a note left by Tyler Robinson, the man accused of murdering Kirk. They're getting help from his roommate and romantic partner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COX: I know that it's been reported and that the FBI has confirmed that, as well, that the roommate was a romantic partner, a male transitioning to female.

I can say that that he [SIC] has been very cooperative. This -- this partner has been incredibly cooperative. Had no idea that this was happening and is working with investigators right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Robinson is being held without bond. He's undergoing a mental evaluation. His first court appearance is set for tomorrow.

Governor Cox claims he was, quote, "indoctrinated with leftist ideology."

Joining me now to talk about all of this is Jillian Snyder. She's the resident senior fellow at the R Street Institute, former police officer for New York. Thank you so much for being with me.

JILLIAN SNYDER, RESIDENT SENIOR FELLOW, R STREET INSTITUTE: Thank you for having me.

CORNISH: I want to talk about just the idea of him not cooperating, especially in the context of the fact that, like, everyone around him is, right? The family, the roommate. How does this work for investigators?

SNYDER: It's not making the situation any easier. But in a case like this, he's -- he's captured. So, most times they would advise him -- his family, I'm sure, and friends -- would advise him not to speak with law enforcement, because he is the -- the suspect.

But having his family, his roommate cooperate in the investigation, that's just very vital to the sustainability of this prosecution, ultimately.

CORNISH: I want to talk to you about something we heard from the governor there. We -- this idea of a leftist ideology. Our own Dana Bash actually asked the governor about this on Sunday. And here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Can you elaborate on that and be more specific?

COX: Well, sure. So -- so that information comes from the people around him, from his -- his family members and -- and friends. That's -- that's how we got that information.

Again, there's so much more that we're learning and so much more that we will learn.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Everybody is asking this question about ideology. I'm sure you're getting it, depending on what channel you're sitting on an interview for. What is the difference between ideology and understanding a motive?

SNYDER: They're completely different things.

So, motive is the rationale behind the behavior. Ideology is completely different.

Ideology might frame the way in which we think or what we believe in, or some of the things that we do that might be the rationale behind it, but the motive is why you committed the crime.

[06:05:06]

So, it doesn't matter if you're politically left or you're politically right. That has nothing to -- I mean, yes, there will be some foundational rationale behind why you do what you do, but that is completely different from pure motive.

CORNISH: One thing that came up this weekend, and I remember thinking, of course. Discord, right? The idea that this person is going in, perhaps making comments to people in their Discord chat.

Over and over again in shootings, if there's any ideology, I see people performing for a community that, in a way, idolizes mass shooters. SNYDER: So, this generation -- and the suspect in this case is 22

years old. We're seeing it more in that early 20s to maybe early 30s generation now; that underground dark web gaming mentality.

And again, that is because we're evolving. And this is taking root underneath the surface. So, people are seeking not to be broadcasted in public and speaking behind the scenes with other people.

CORNISH: The last thing I want to know. Again, the family stepping forward. I think this is one of the things I'm most interested in.

If people have someone in their life they're concerned about, no one knows, really, where to begin. You don't want to be making a phone call after something happens. But I think people are nervous about who do you call before?

SNYDER: Well, we don't know the timeline yet. We don't know the family hasn't said what day he started speaking about Charlie Kirk or the UVU event that was going to happen, but the family has said that they've noticed a political shift in them. They've noticed behavior that was concerning.

So, I don't know why they didn't pick up a phone and call someone, or maybe take him to a mental health specialist. Unfortunately, they waited until it was too late, but thankfully, they are cooperating.

CORNISH: OK. Jillian, thanks so much. I hope you're back so we can talk as we learn more.

SNYDER: Thank you.

CORNISH: All right.

Coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the ground in Israel. Can he convince Prime Minister Netanyahu to consider a ceasefire with Hamas?

And FBI director Kash Patel under fire in the bureau and the White House. Is his job in jeopardy?

Plus, politicizing a tragedy. Finger pointing in the wake of Charlie Kirk's murder.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: The problem is on the left. If you look at the problem, the problem is on the left. It's not on the right, like some people like to say, on the right. The problem we have is on the left.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[06:11:47] CORNISH: In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination, the president's closest aides are tracking any voices celebrating the conservative commentator's death.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the Pentagon is monitoring military personnel who might be mocking Kirk.

And the deputy secretary of state, Christopher Landau, suggested potential stripping of visas. In a post on X, he said, "Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country."

And the president is making it clear who he believes is to blame for America's accelerating violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The problem is on the left. If you look at the problem, the problem is on the left. It's not on the right, like some people like to say, on the right. The problem we have is on the left.

And when you look at the agitators, the -- you look at the scum that speak so badly of our country, the American flag burnings all over the place. That's the left. That's not the right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Joining me now in the group chat, CNN senior reporter Edward- Isaac Dovere; CNN chief national affairs correspondent, Jeff Zeleny; and Sara Fischer, senior media reporter at Axios. I'm glad you guys are here to help make sense of this.

And this will be a jump ball between you, Jeff, and Isaac.

Everybody is looking to the White House to see what is the actual response to this national watershed moment. Is it a policy conversation? We know the White House is in mourning, but is there more? And are either of you hearing anything?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Look, this is a very big week for the White House to respond to this. It's going to culminate on Sunday when President Trump goes to the funeral of Charlie Kirk.

But before that, I'm told there are going to be policy changes. There are big discussions in the White House right now about how to respond to, as the president was saying, as he describes the radical left.

So, is that some type of financial policy of -- of closing off the -- the funding for leftist groups? Is it a crime discussion?

One thing we know it likely will not be is a gun discussion. And that is perhaps the through line. Not perhaps. It is the through line for all of these other shootings and killings on both sides and in many other cases.

CORNISH: Can I play for you, just because you're bringing this up. Here's what the president said on FOX about, I guess, who he means by the left.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They're profession [SIC] from Soros and other people. And we're going to look into Soros, because I think it's a RICO case against him and other people.

Because this is more than, like, protest. This is real agitation. This is riots on the street. And we're going to look into that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: What are the kind of political implications of going after specific figures who, at the end of the day, this investigation is still unfolding. It's not like there's some direct tie here.

SARA FISCHER, CNN MEDIA ANALYST: Yes. Well, from my perspective, covering media, there are certain left-wing figures that are more likely to fund left-wing media causes.

A lot of them we've seen in recent years have tried to do that very privately, instead of coming out publicly with who they're funding. That's never good, because you always want transparency into who's funding media and information.

It also could just mean a pullback from funding and not just from media, but from other Democratic causes and other Democratic groups, because other prominent Democrats don't want to be called out from the president.

Remember, they are prominent Democrats often because they are billionaires. They have business interests. And at a time when those could be threatened for contributing to left-leaning causes, I would expect many to reconsider how much they're investing.

[06:15:10]

CORNISH: I also remember for a time, in Democratic White House, an attempt to go after right-wing ideology; an attempt to look at extremist right-wing groups online. It was difficult.

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: But that's different from what Donald Trump is talking about here, right?

CORNISH: Talk about it.

DOVERE: There is -- and we should be very clear here. There is no link that anybody has even pointed to in any way that -- between Soros and the shooter, the person who killed Charlie Kirk. There is nothing there.

What there is, is that the president has long had a problem with George Soros, and what he attributes to George Soros, which is often much more than what he funds.

CORNISH: Yes.

DOVERE: There's this boogeyman in a lot of people's minds. And the president is using this shooting as a pretext for, it seems like, doing much more.

And I think it's also important to -- look, there have been a lot of acts of political violence. There have been shootings over the course of this year. It's been terrible what's been going on.

CORNISH: Yes.

DOVERE: And it is not -- we talk about this stuff sometimes in the right/left. It's -- that's not what's going on here.

FISCHER: Yes. And just to follow up on that. So, there was a DHS report a few years back. And what it found was that we need to be paying much more attention to domestic terrorism than we need to do with foreign terrorism.

They did call out some of the angst in the right-wing, particularly in online private forums and groups. But it wasn't an attempt to go after, necessarily, right-wing people. It was basically research that said this is a pretty pressing threat. The domestic terrorist threat.

CORNISH: Well, it's a very broad term, right?

FISCHER: Yes.

CORNISH: When we say right-wing or left-wing. It's not clear what that means.

And I want to play for you one more thing, which is Utah's governor, Spencer Cox, because he has a different approach altogether. Looking at how people agitate and talk about this online. I want to leave you with this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COX: These companies, trillion-dollar market caps, the most powerful companies in the history of the world, have figured out how to hack our brains, get us addicted to outrage, which is the same type of dopamine, the same chemical that you get from taking fentanyl. Get us addicted to outrage and get us to hate each other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: All right, you guys, stay with me. We're going to be talking more about that and some other things.

After the break on CNN THIS MORNING, bracing for the National Guard. The mayor of Memphis not too happy about the help being offered by President Trump.

And Secretary of State Rubio lands in Israel with an urgent message from the president for Prime Minister Netanyahu.

And good morning to Dallas. We'll be right back.

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[06:21:53]

CORNISH: We're watching developments in the Middle East.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are about to hold a joint news conference in Jerusalem that's expected in the next hour.

So, the two met behind closed doors earlier today in the wake of Israel's attack on Hamas leaders inside Qatar. And the U.S. is hoping to ease tensions between the two key allies.

Rubio says President Trump is concerned the strike in Doha could make hostage negotiations more challenging.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: He didn't like the way it went down, but that said, that's not going to shake -- our relationship with Israel is going to remain strong.

And sometimes, you know, things happen or come up in those relationships that perhaps you're not 100 percent aligned with, or what have you. But it's not going to change the nature of our relationship with the Israelis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Now Israel is intensifying its attacks in Northern Gaza, destroying several high-rise buildings it says were used by Hamas.

CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is live from London.

Salma, can we go back to this joint news conference? What is the tone and the questions ahead?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And I think all eyes will be on that news conference, because Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on the ground right now, weighing essentially two arguments that he is going to be hearing.

Today, he is speaking to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We understand from Israeli sources that Prime Minister Netanyahu intended to bring up the issue of annexing portions of the West Bank, something the United Nations has called a violation of international law and something that Arab states have described as an absolute red line when it comes to normalization agreements.

The second issue, he's, of course, going to be discussing -- and you mentioned this -- is the strikes on Hamas in Doha last week. These were Hamas officials on the ground to discuss that peace effort.

That's why Qatar says that Israel does not actually intend to sign any peace deal. It is accusing Prime Minister Netanyahu of dragging its feet.

And today, it is hosting other Arab and Islamic states to discuss their reaction to Israel's strike in Doha.

But first, I want you to hear how President Trump responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They have to be very, very careful. They have to do something about Hamas. But Qatar has been a great ally to the United States.

Qatar has been a very great ally. So, Israel and everybody else, we have to be careful. When -- when we attack people, we have to be careful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Now -- no -- now, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be hosting that press conference shortly. So, we'll find out more about what was discussed.

But what we do know is, again, those Arab states that are meeting in -- in Qatar are preparing to issue a joint resolution that could impact something that is extremely personal to President Trump. Those normalization agreements, the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized relationships between the United Arab Emirates and Israel.

That was President Trump's flagship accomplishment of his first term. So, it's something that's going to be top of mind for the secretary of state.

The other issue, of course, on the table is Gaza City. The Israeli military says that it controls some 40 percent of that city. Families have been fleeing in the sight of bombs.

[06:25:11]

And we also understand from local officials that aid and resources may be cut off to that heart and soul of the Gaza enclave in an attempt to push everyone out.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected to fly to Doha tomorrow, Tuesday, to speak to those Arab states on their response and their concerns.

And a lot of these decisions, a lot of how this conflict moves forward, is going to be determined in D.C. with President Trump weighing these options and weighing these arguments -- Audie.

CORNISH: CNN's Salma Abdelaziz, we'll be checking in with you today after this press conference. Thanks so much.

Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, Kash Patel taking on some criticism. The growing backlash against President Trump's embattled FBI director.

Plus, the Emmy goes to? The winners and the moments everyone's talking about.

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