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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk Shot & Killed At Age 31; President Trump Makes Oval Office Statement On Charlie Kirk's Murder; FBI Manhunt For Charlie Kirk's Killer. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired September 10, 2025 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: --Kara, we only have like 30 seconds left.
KARA SWISHER, AUTHOR, "BURN BOOK: A TECH LOVE STORY," CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes.
COOPER: But it's interesting to me that Charlie Kirk, and again, whatever you thought of what he was arguing, he was in the arena--
SWISHER: He was.
COOPER: --he was traveling the country, debating people.
SWISHER: Right.
COOPER: And that's -- there's -- that's important.
SWISHER: That is important. I thought those events, where he was killed at, were really interesting, and an interesting way to engage, and he did do that. I think what happens is, is there's not enough of that happening--
COOPER: Yes.
SWISHER: --and there's too much of this online stuff that just gins up people's anger. And it just does, it's designed to do so, and it's created and invented to do so, and that's what it does.
COOPER: Yes, a horrible day.
Kara Swisher. Donie O'Sullivan. Thank you.
The news continues. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN Breaking News.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: We come on the air tonight during what is unmistakably a very dark moment for this nation.
Here in Washington, a city that is so often divided by politics, people have found themselves united in the worst way, through shock, through grief and horror.
President Trump tonight has directed that flags be lowered to half- staff, in memory of Charlie Kirk, one of the nation's most prominent and influential conservative youth activists, who was assassinated while speaking at a college campus in Utah.
Right now, the manhunt for the person who murdered Charlie Kirk is still underway tonight. Earlier, the FBI Director said a subject was in custody, followed by the Governor of Utah referring to them as a person of interest. But this evening, the Director, Kash Patel, says the person who was being questioned has been released, and this investigation is still ongoing. As far as we know this hour, no one is in custody as of this moment.
By now, you have either seen the video of when the shot rang out, or decided to avoid it. It's horrible and graphic, and we're not going to play it here tonight.
Kirk has been speaking in front of a huge crowd, at Utah Valley University, at an event that is organized by Turning Point USA, the organization that he co-founded when he was just 18-years-old.
About 20 minutes into the event, during a Q&A with the audience, Kirk was actually talking about mass shootings during that Q&A, when authorities say he was hit by a single fatal shot from 200 yards away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(VIDEO - STUDENTS SCRAMBLING AT UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: What happened after is nothing short of horrifying. Charlie Kirk was rushed to a hospital, where doctors fought to save his life but could not.
Charlie Kirk was just 31-years-old. He leaves behind his wife, Erika, and their two children, a son who turned 1 in May, and a daughter who turned 3 in August.
Kirk's mission to turbo-charge young voters to the Republican Party is a big reason why Donald Trump reclaimed the presidency, and those efforts earned him legions of fans, and a lot of respect and influence inside the White House, where many staffers have been left shaken, this evening.
Utah's Governor tonight said what so many people are thinking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SPENCER COX (R-UT): Nothing I say can unite us as a country. Nothing I can say right now can fix what is broken. Nothing I can say can bring back Charlie Kirk.
We desperately need our country, we desperately need leaders in our country, but more than the leaders, we just need every single person in this country, to think about where we are and where we want to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The assassination of Charlie Kirk is genuinely shocking and truly evil.
Consider what Kirk was doing to the day he was murdered, in broad daylight, what he did on many days, engaging with people who disagree with him. It's downright chilling, when you hear Charlie Kirk himself talk about why he felt that was so important.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE KIRK, AMERICAN POLITICAL ACTIVIST AND AUTHOR: I go around universities and have challenging conversations, because that's what is so important to our country, is to find our disagreements, respectfully, because when people stop talking, that's when violence happens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: That was Charlie Kirk's platform. He'd debate anyone, and he often did, certainly those who did not share his strong viewpoints. But he valued discourse and debate in the public square.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRK: How are we doing, Washington State?
How are we doing, Michigan State?
Great to see you guys. Wow, this is really something.
Do you think there's anything wrong that a majority of young people in California speak Spanish not English?
The influence of DEI have actually inverted the piety away from the promise of what MLK said.
You can be a lifelong learner, right now, because we have these supercomputers in our righthand pocket.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: You can see there, what Charlie Kirk did, often on college campuses.
And if you're deeply disturbed tonight by this act of what is clearly political violence, so are we. And if you're scared tonight for the country, so are we.
[21:05:00] Former President George W. Bush put it this way in a statement tonight, saying, quote, "A young man was murdered in cold blood while expressing his political views. It happened on a college campus, where the open exchange of opposing ideas should be sacrosanct. Violence and vitriol must be purged from the public square." And "Members of other political parties are not our enemies; they are our fellow citizens."
May Charlie Kirk's memory be a blessing, and our prayers are with his family, his friends and those who loved him tonight.
And as we come on the air, this evening, we're hearing from President Trump, who just posted a video, recorded from the Oval Office tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: To my great fellow Americans. I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah.
Charlie inspired millions. And tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror. Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loved so much, the United States of America. He fought for liberty, democracy, justice and the American people. He's a martyr for truth and freedom, and there's never been anyone who was so respected by youth.
Charlie was also a man of deep, deep faith, and we take comfort in the knowledge that he is now at peace with God in heaven. Our prayers are with his wife, Erika, the two young, beloved children and his entire family who he loved more than anything in the world. We ask God to watch over them in this terrible hour of heartache and pain. This is a dark moment for America.
Charlie Kirk traveled the nation, joyfully engaging with everyone interested in good-faith debate. His mission was to bring young people into the political process, which he did better than anybody ever, to share his love of country and to spread the simple words of commonsense. On campuses nationwide, he championed his ideas with courage, logic, humor and grace.
It's a long past time for all Americans, and the media, to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible.
For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans, like Charlie, to Nazis and the world's worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.
My administration will find each and every one of those, who contributed to this atrocity, and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country. From the attack on my life in Butler, Pennsylvania last year, which killed a husband and father, to the attacks on ICE agents, to the vicious murder of a health care executive in the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others, radical-left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives.
Tonight, I ask all Americans to commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived and died. The values of free speech, citizenship, the rule of law, and the patriotic devotion and love of God.
Charlie was the best of America, and the monster who attacked him was attacking our whole country. An assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed, because together, we will ensure that his voice, his message and his legacy will live on, for countless generations to come. Today, because of this heinous act, Charlie's voice has become bigger and grander than ever before, and it's not even close.
May God bless his memory. May God watch over his family. And may God bless the United States of America. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Those are the words from President Trump, on the murder of Charlie Kirk today, someone who obviously was a leading advocate of his, an ally of his.
And tonight, as we are still very much covering the investigation of what happened today, and who is responsible for Charlie Kirk's murder, I want to begin with CNN's Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, John Miller.
[21:10:00]
Because, John, obviously, there's a lot of questions about what's happening with this investigation, right now, given what we are now hearing tonight, this update from the FBI Director, that they have released this person of interest, who was in custody.
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT & INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: So, it's been a fast-moving investigation, but also one with some false starts, Kaitlan.
You've got an individual who went to a rooftop, dressed in dark clothing, found a sniper's perch and made a very long shot, a single shot that resulted in this assassination.
Reviewing security camera video, they found someone who had similar clothing, who was in the -- in the area. We don't know the full details of how they got from that video to that individual, and had that person in custody as a person of interest, and determined that, in their belief, this was not the shooter.
That brings them back to square one. We refer to it as a manhunt. But in the manhunt, as you and I most often talk about them, it's you know who the person is, and you have a dragnet out searching for them.
In this case, there is another person of interest. But that's, again, someone that they want to talk to, someone they want to investigate, but not someone that they have enough evidence on to charge right away. So, this is a -- this is a very difficult case for the authorities in Utah and the FBI.
COLLINS: So, is it clear if anyone is in custody right now, or is the answer still no, based on what we know so far?
MILLER: Based on what we know so far, they have somebody they're interested in, who, according to my sources, when I last spoke to them, was not in custody.
But, in a case like this, you are looking for someone who has detachment and a lack of empathy, who likes to be in control.
The offender characteristics of the -- of the assassin, sniper, are something that's been studied very closely, especially by the Secret Service, and it's someone who is methodical and patient, self-reliant.
In other words, Kaitlan, this is the kind of person who would have planned to get in silently, try to be invisible, take this shot, accomplish the mission, take the gun with them, and leave little evidence behind, which is why I think they're having a very difficult time getting started on this.
COLLINS: Well--
MILLER: This is someone who was a planner.
COLLINS: And John, also, what stood out to me, from what we heard from officials earlier, was they said it was a single shot that was fired. It wasn't multiple shots in Charlie Kirk's direction. They said it was about 200 yards away from where he was sitting under that tent.
What does that tell you about the person's familiarity with firearms?
MILLER: That tells you that the person is not new to shooting, that they understood exactly what type of long rifle to bring, what kind of optics in terms of scopes and sights to have on that, what the windage was that might affect a shot from that distance.
This is someone who knew exactly what they were doing, and is probably known to others, and this may be working to the advantage of law enforcement as someone who has a long history in shooting. This wasn't an amateur.
COLLINS: John Miller, if you learn more, please come back and join us tonight. Thank you so much for bringing us that reporting.
Also, here is Eva Terry. She's a reporter for Utah's Deseret News, who was on the ground, at this event, when the shooting happened.
And first off, let me say, Eva, I'm so sorry for what you had to witness today. That was nothing short of horrific. And I can't imagine even how scary it was to be there.
We've all seen the videos. But can you just describe what it was like on the ground?
EVA TERRY, WITNESSED CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING, REPORTER, DESERET NEWS: Yes, so I had been at UVU, all morning, with my friend and coworker, Emma Pitts. So, we went down to the lawn, where it was at, at a little amphitheater around 11:00 a.m., and Charlie Kirk was scheduled at noon.
So, we spent an hour interviewing people about why they were there, what they wanted to, why that like -- why they had come. And people were really excited. And there were a lot of underclassmen there. So, some girls we talked to were freshmen, and just so, so excited.
And then, a bus came in -- or a van came in, and they thought it was Charlie Kirk, so everyone started cheering and chanting, and it was just this food van. Then another van came in, and that was actually him. And he took, like, 20 minutes throwing out hats, gear and stuff. And then he took questions. He jumped straight -- straight into it. He didn't give a speech beforehand or anything.
[21:15:00]
So, first question came and went, and then the second student came up, and he asked a question about how many transgender students there were. Charlie Kirk responded -- or, sorry, shooters. And then Charlie Kirk responded, and then the student asked, Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years? And he couldn't respond in that -- before he was able to respond and pick up the microphone.
From my own vantage point, it looked like it shot the -- the shot went to the left of his neck. It was really bloody, and he went limp and fell off the chair. So everyone in the audience got down, Emma and I crouched next to each other, and she said a prayer, and then we ran with pretty much everyone else into just a room that was nearby, and we got under a desk, and that's when we contacted our editors.
COLLINS: I mean, just to hear that, I think, is just mind-blowing to so many people to have been there, and such a crowded event. You can see from the videos, how many people were there.
When you got there, was there security that you went through? What was the -- did you think about that? Was that something that stood out to you?
TERRY: Right. That was something that crossed my mind. And at the press conference afterwards, they said there were -- there were six police officers who were assigned, and there were 3,000 people in the crowd.
And so, we both had tickets. We had signed up earlier, and there was no one to check our tickets. There were -- there were -- there was no one checking bags. We both had full backpacks on. So, yes. And under -- under -- they underestimated how many police officers they would need, for sure.
COLLINS: Yes, the Police Chief himself seemed to acknowledge that, earlier.
Eva Terry, thank you for coming on today, on just such a devastating day. I really appreciate you joining me tonight.
TERRY: Thanks for having me.
COLLINS: Also joining me here tonight is the Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson.
I mean, Speaker Johnson, this has been nothing short of a horrific day. Tell me what you're thinking tonight.
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): I have a lot of thoughts right now. Devastating to hear that account from Miss Terry there. Our hearts go out to all the students who were there, everyone who's experienced this. The video has been online. But clearly, to the -- to the young widow of Charlie, to his young children, to all of his friends and family. We all are counted among his friends.
Something happened on Capitol Hill today. We were talking, right before we came on the air. It's changed the atmosphere in the place, of one of alarm, shock. I mean, I was just communicating with Charlie, I don't know, a few days back. He was a good friend. It doesn't seem real. And what we loved about Charlie was that he loved to engage debate, and he genuinely respected and genuinely loved in a Christian manner. Didn't (ph) hate anybody.
He had vigorous debate, but that was -- that's kind of trying to win the argument. But he had great compassion for the people that he was debating, always, and he had the right heart about it. He represented free speech.
We talk about the free marketplace of ideas. And I think President George W. Bush said that college campus is supposed to be that. Charlie Kirk, I think, contributed more productive content to the free marketplace of ideas than anyone in his generation. It's a great and tragic loss, and we'll be dealing with this for quite a long time.
COLLINS: When you say it changed the mood on Capitol Hill today. I mean, we just saw reaction coming in from Republicans and Democrats alike, condemning this.
JOHNSON: Yes.
COLLINS: What do you mean that you think it changed the mood?
JOHNSON: Well, in that sense, it unifies everybody on both sides of the aisle. We have to call out political violence.
I think there is a recognition. Some are saying it openly, some more quietly, that the vitriol, the level that is there now, the hatred that has been fomented. There's a time that we've got to turn the volume down, and I think there's -- there's a lot of -- there's a lot of -- the people, I think, that find pleasure in stoking that fire, and it's dangerous.
There are deranged people in society (inaudible) dangerous things increasingly. So, we see that. So, I think that members of Congress have come to that recognition. I think many of them are nervous. Of course, they're public figures. They're exposed, all the time, everywhere. We have great security measures for members of Congress, but there's a desire on many people's parts to have more.
These are the new realities. I think social media has been a toxin in politics, I think it has added to this vitriol. But at the end of the day, I think the call is that we've got to recognize, once more, that we are all fellow Americans. We are -- we should see one another as colleagues and fellow citizens and fellow countrymen, and not as enemies. That's not what Charlie Kirk represented. He genuinely loved the debate, because he genuinely loved the people, and I think that's a really important thing for us to remember.
[21:20:00]
COLLINS: On lawmakers. I mean, have you heard from members who want heightened security because of what happened to Charlie Kirk?
JOHNSON: Yes, of course, there's been a deluge of that, I mean, from the moment all this took place. And we're looking at that. We have to take serious measures for serious times.
But the encouragement, again, is to resort to our better angels, as Abraham Lincoln reminded the people in another time, of great, great division, and to get back to the fundamental principles. This is not who we are in America. We're founded on these -- these founding principles that we're going to celebrate in earnest next year, in our Super Centennial.
COLLINS: Yes.
JOHNSON: It's built on the idea that -- that we're all created equal, we're all made in the image of God, and everybody has an estimable dignity and value. We need to treat one another with civility. And I think this is an important reminder.
COLLINS: Well, and it's notable to hear you say that there are lawmakers who want more security, as a result of this. I don't think that's surprising to anyone to just see what happened, because he did have security that was there with him.
JOHNSON: Yes. Yes.
COLLINS: Obviously, the campus obviously could have used more.
But on what you were saying there, about what people say, in this political environment, especially where it's turbo-charged a lot of times on Capitol Hill. And do you think today provides a greater recognition of how sometimes those messages come across to other people, who take them more seriously, maybe, than some members of Congress do, when they're saying it, or tweeting it, or anything? JOHNSON: Yes, I mean, I think that -- I think that's clear. You've had people who have resorted to political violence, because they were encouraged along by the dialog out in the public square. And some of that is put forward by elected officials, and people with large platforms, large social media platforms, and they're saying and doing things that make it personal, and people direct their anger to individuals.
I mean, this is not who we are. We're better than this. We need to be setting an example as Americans. We are the free marketplace of ideas. We celebrate and defend, vigorously, free speech. Charlie Kirk did that, as well as anybody that I know. And he never shied away from debate, but he did it in the right spirit, and I think that's what we've got to get back to. It wasn't personal.
COLLINS: And what you said tonight, I mean, I think a lot of people look at this and say -- I mean, everyone knows someone who voices their opinion, or is this strong debater, or maybe says something that is turning the rhetoric up.
But in terms of what we saw on Capitol Hill tonight, I think everyone would agree, elected leaders have a bigger responsibility than just anyone else.
You were trying to call a moment of silence, in the House earlier, after we had confirmed that Charlie Kirk was killed today. I just -- I want people to see what happened on Capitol Hill, when you tried to do that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ANNA PAULINA LUNA (R-FL): Ya'll caused this.
JOHNSON: Let's -- let's -- let's--
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (inaudible) (bleep).
JOHNSON: Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
(GAVEL BANGS)
JOHNSON: The House will be in order. The House will be in order.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (inaudible).
JOHNSON: The House will be in order.
(GAVEL BANGS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Can you tell those of us who weren't there, what was happening there?
JOHNSON: Yes, we had convened. We were having an Oath of Office ceremony for a new member who was just elected in a special election, a Democrat, and we were going to vote in a series of votes on the National Defense Authorization Act.
But before that, this was right after the event, we had just convened the House again, and I thought it was appropriate to have a moment of prayer and reflection for Charlie Kirk. It -- as I was approaching the rostrum, people's phones were saying that he has been deceased, but it wasn't -- it wasn't formally called yet.
The emotion was very high in the room. We had a moment of silence. And after that, a member stood to be recognized and said, Let's have open prayer, and that started a debate, and people felt like it was being politicized, on the Democrat side of the aisle, I guess, there were some shouts and groans, and then the Republicans responded, and it turned into a little bit of chaos there. We had to bring order back and get back to it.
But I think that was a reflection of the emotion of the moment, the real sense of kind of shock that people were feeling, I think justifiably, understandably. But I think after that, I think a lot of people will reflect upon things they said and did in that moment, and they probably regret it.
Look, let's say this. I think there's a lot of people of people in the media, who have said some things today that they probably regret. We need to be thinking thoughtfully about our language, and what we're saying and how we treat one another.
And this could be a big moment in America -- I feel like something has changed. I do. I think it's a real moment in the country. You described the mood. Our -- President Trump described the mood, President George W. Bush, everyone. Let's use this for something positive and productive, as we lift up in prayer, Charlie's widow and young children and everybody involved in this.
COLLINS: But I wonder, given that's what happened in the House of Representatives, in a moment where you're just trying to call for a moment of silence, that people might see that and hear your words tonight, and say, You sound more optimistic than others, about turning it down or reaching that moment.
What would you say to people who are skeptical about it?
[21:25:00]
JOHNSON: Well, I understand the skepticism, but I do think we all need to be optimist. We're going to channel Abraham Lincoln. I mean, let -- let us really appeal to our better angels.
We're in a -- we're in a pivotal moment as a nation. We're coming up on our 250th birthday. We're still the grand experiment in self- governance. We don't know how long this grand experiment will last. We don't have a monarch, we don't have a king to sort things out.
It's government of, by, and for, the people ourselves. It means the people should be engaged. They should be informed. They should engage in thoughtful debate, as Charlie Kirk was a model and a leader in. But at the end of the day, you can't take that home, and you can't hate the person on the other side. We're all in this together. And we do well to remember that. And when we do, then we are optimistic, because we remember what's great about our country.
COLLINS: Well, and what we -- the point we were making at the beginning of the show was that he was having debates with people who -- I mean, a lot of people don't like his viewpoints or disagreed with them.
JOHNSON: Sure.
COLLINS: But he debated with those people who didn't.
And you talked about members being worried about their security, understandably. They get a lot of threats..
JOHNSON: Yes.
COLLINS: And just judges, we see this all the time. The President mentioned judges there. We've seen how that's happened and that's played out.
What would you say to your members, about the importance of having those face-to-face conversations with people they disagree with?
JOHNSON: Well, I've been talking about this, since before I got to Congress, almost nine years ago. My first act, as a member of Congress, was to draft a document called the Commitment to Civility. We got every member of the freshman class, except one person, that year, in 2017, to sign on, Republicans and Democrats.
And the idea was, we're going to have differences of opinion, but we have to treat one another with dignity and respect. That's not your enemy. That's your fellow American and colleague. Basically, follow the golden rule. I mean, I'm an advocate of that, have been consistently all the time.
I think we should engage the debate. I think -- I think it's incumbent upon, particularly members of Congress, to go out into that free marketplace of ideas, and share their thoughts, and take and receive and have dialog with people who disagree. That's the beauty of America. We don't censor and silence dis-favorable viewpoints. We flesh them out.
COLLINS: Yes, in town halls, and having people--
JOHNSON: Yes, of course.
COLLINS: --speak to their representatives.
JOHNSON: Of course. But as you've seen how town halls have devolved now into these shout fests, there's not productive dialog.
So, there's -- there's fault on all sides, but everybody needs to take a slow and steady account of that. I think, as Governor Cox said, in Utah today, he said, Let's evaluate who we are and who we want to be. He's right about that. Now is a time of reflection for America. We can stop this and stop the trend, but we just got to respect one another.
COLLINS: House Speaker, Mike Johnson, thank you for joining us, here tonight, on set.
JOHNSON: Thank you. Thanks.
COLLINS: Really appreciate it.
And we'll be back after a short break. We're going to speak to the Senator from Utah, John Curtis, on this horrific assassination that happened in his home state.
And also later, I'll speak with a Senator who personally knew Charlie Kirk, and his thoughts.
[21:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: As we continue covering our breaking news, we just got in some new video that I want to show you tonight, that shows a person who is running, on the roof of a building, at that campus, at Utah Valley University, after Charlie Kirk had been shot.
You can see here the person is seen running across the Losee Center roof. You can see them there before the video pauses, right on the left of your screen. You can see a small figure. That video and where you're looking at is directly across from where Charlie Kirk had been speaking earlier today.
Obviously, investigators are poring through all of the video and surveillance footage that they have on campus, because this comes after that 31-year-old political activist, and father of two, was out on the first stop of what was being called his American Comeback Tour.
He's visiting college campuses to talk about conservative politics. And today's event also had his signature Prove Me Wrong table, where Kirk would urge those who disagreed with him to debate him on an issue. That's what was happening, when he was killed today.
I'm joined by Republican senator of Utah, John Curtis tonight.
And Senator, I mean, obviously, this is just a horrific moment, no matter what your politics are. And to see something like that happen so close to where you're from, I wonder how you're seeing this tonight.
SEN. JOHN CURTIS (R-UT): I use the word awful. It's the best word I can come up with, in all senses of the word. And this is just a couple miles away from my home. I've been on that campus more times than I can count. I spoke there. I've been in similar situations. And I think we're all trying to figure out, really, how to process this.
COLLINS: Can you just describe that campus just -- because I don't think it's familiar to a lot of people. We heard from the Police Chief earlier. Obviously, it's a smaller campus. But, I mean, there were 3,000 people who were at this event today.
CURTIS: Yes, well, so first of all, that there are 3,000 people is a big deal for that -- for that campus.
It's a very, very unique campus. It's totally connected. All the buildings are actually connected. You can move around that campus in inclement weather without going outside. I think that's one of the reasons you see all of those buildings so close, is that connectivity that they have. But it also sets up, as you can see, a near-impossible situation for security.
COLLINS: Yes, I mean, and obviously you can see where he was seated, and where the tent was. That is where Charlie Kirk had been -- underneath that tent, when he was shot. You can see all the students kind of at an elevated surface above him--
CURTIS: Right.
COLLINS: --looking toward him.
CURTIS: Kind of -- kind of an amphitheater--
COLLINS: Yes.
[21:35:00]
CURTIS: --where you would normally look at that and say, Wouldn't this be a great place to have a gathering? Wouldn't this be a great place to have a town hall meeting? Wouldn't this be a great place to listen to a speaker? Perfect weather, the type of time that you want to be outdoors, in an environment like that, really conducive to Charlie's style, and everything you would think would have been perfect about the event.
COLLINS: Have you heard any more from officials in Utah, about the investigation, or where that stands tonight?
CURTIS: No, I think we all have about the same amount of information, which is close to nothing. And that's really unfortunate. I know we all want some type of closure on this. But at least right now, that's evasive.
COLLINS: I wonder what you made of what we heard from your home state governor earlier, Spencer Cox, as he was taking a moment to just address what, I think, the sickening feeling that so many people felt with what happened today, and what this means for public discourse in America, where people are disagreeing, maybe strongly, but just disagreeing with their words, and it resulted in someone being murdered today.
CURTIS: Yes, it's clearly not the Utah way. This is a town, I was telling you earlier, where, like, you could walk on the streets any time of day and be comfortable. This is a -- this is a town, where people actually say hi to each other, right, as they walk past each other on the street. This is a town that, we call it kind of, sometimes jokingly, Happy Valley, because it really is almost a dream- like place to live, and raise your children. And that's -- that's makes this even more disturbing for those of us that live there.
COLLINS: Speaker Johnson just told me that he's heard from members, over in the House, that they're worried about their security. They want more security after what happened.
Does this make you hesitant about doing events, Senator?
CURTIS: I almost hate to admit it, because it sounds a little selfish, but you can't look at something like this and say, That could be me.
There's a parade I do annually, just a mile or two away from here, with 300,000 people. We all -- you know, our town hall meetings, where you well know there's -- that's -- if you want to talk about angst and vitriol, and we all find ourselves in those situations.
But as I actually could hear that clip, and as I was listening, I say no -- so there is no way. There's 435 in the House, a 100 in the Senate. We're all in different places, every day. There's no way you lock that down. And that would be a terrible thing for the American people. I mean, we would lose the closeness that we cherish with our constituents, if we even tried to do that.
COLLINS: Yes.
Senator John Curtis, thank you for coming on and joining tonight.
CURTIS: Thanks, Kaitlan. Yes.
COLLINS: Up next. We're going to speak to our other congressional source who's going to join me, as we're hearing from leaders, across the political spectrum, call for an end to political violence.
[21:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We're back with the breaking news tonight, on the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, at Utah Valley University, earlier today.
Joining me here tonight, Democratic congressman, Ro Khanna of California.
And obviously, Congressman, we've heard from a lot of your Republican colleagues, here on the show tonight, some from Utah, some who knew Charlie Kirk personally.
How are -- what are you hearing from Democrats today, after seeing what happened?
REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): We're horrified. We're saddened. We're saddened as Americans, at the anger, at the hate, at the division in this country.
I was talking to one of my colleagues, and I shared the Robert Kennedy quote that inspired me in politics, where Robert Kennedy said, Let us replace the violence and the stain of bloodshed that is spreading across our land with an understanding of love and compassion. I wish we could just be that America tonight.
And I appreciated the Speaker and what he said. He and I came into Congress together. It's true that he led the Civility pledge.
I mean, enough with social media, insulting each other, cursing each other. Argue the positions, but come together as Americans.
COLLINS: Yes, and Speaker Johnson said he's hopeful. He said he felt like things felt differently on Capitol Hill, after this happened, in just terms of the atmosphere.
After what happened, though, in that moment of silence, the attempted moment of silence today, where arguments broke out between members of Congress, just in that moment. You were there. What was that like?
KHANNA: It wasn't one of our finest moments. I mean, there was a Speaker that had called a moment of silence. We should have just had the moment of silence. I mean, there's some people who said, Well, what about the moment of silence for the school shooting? Well, that's awful as well. But, and then there was a debate about guns.
But we need to take a step back and say, What is happening to our country? This is not the America that I grew up in. We are having violence almost every week in schools. We're having violence and political assassinations. In Minnesota. Today with Charlie Kirk.
We can't seem to talk to each other with respect. We're politicizing every tragedy. We're hurling insults and seeing who can mock each other better. Is this the inheritance? I mean, tomorrow is September 11th, where people died for this country, and this is what we've become as a Congress? We're failing our Founders. We're failing the people who sacrificed. We all need to do better, and I hope this is a wake-up call for the governing class in this country.
COLLINS: Yes, I mean, that is the question that I heard in, from conversations with anyone today is, Is this what the country is? Is this the dark path that we're going down? And people saying they were scared by what happened today and deeply shaken by it.
[21:45:00]
KHANNA: Well, people are scared as a -- at a personal level. As Speaker Johnson said, members of Congress are out there and they're exposed. But they're scared more deeply about the principles of this country being at risk.
And the question -- you know, people often say there are different camps in politics. There's really, in my view, two camps. Are you in the fear camp? Are you in the division camp? The camp that says we just need to return insult with insult? Or are you in the hope and affirmation camp and say, We need to have a better and new politics? And there are people on both parties who are in the hope and affirmation camp. And there people in both parties who are in the insult camp. And I think this country needs a new politics. I'm hoping today, if the -- if we're going to honor the memory of someone who was assassinated, we start by honoring it by building a better politics.
COLLINS: Yes, I think everyone is hopeful for that.
Congressman, thank you for joining us tonight.
KHANNA: Thank you.
COLLINS: Really appreciate you bringing the Democratic perspective.
Up next. He was described as a fearless patriot. That's what Senator Markwayne Mullin said about his friend, Charlie Kirk. I'm going to speak with Senator Mullin, right after this.
[21:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Tonight, a source tells CNN that the Vice President, JD Vance, plans to travel to Utah, tomorrow, after Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a college campus just outside Salt Lake City.
Kirk was exceptionally close to the Vice President. He played a key role in Vance's 2022 Ohio Senate race, and actually encouraged President Trump to select him as his vice presidential candidate in 2024.
I'm joined now by Oklahoma Senator, Markwayne Mullin.
And Senator, you were friends with Charlie Kirk.
SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-OK): Yes.
COLLINS: And let me just first, I'm so sorry for today. I just -- I know how shaken everyone is by what happened to him.
How would you describe Charlie Kirk to someone who had not met him and didn't know him?
MULLIN: I try not to get emotional on that stuff, so I'll be as good as I can on this.
Charlie was a -- was a guy that broke all norms, when it comes to political interaction. And he was an unapologetic Christian, and he was an unapologetic proponent for traditional values, and he could debate anybody.
I mean, he -- think about this. When he -- when he first came on the scene, and he wasn't -- he wasn't running for office. He wasn't even looking to running for office. He had no aspiration to ever seek an office. He was there to inform people, to debate people on their issues, and interact without anger, without being condescending, without even showing -- showing a disdain. He was simply just debate people with opposite views. And you know what he did? He took it to campuses, at a time that there was no politician going to campuses. He would take it to the campuses, and just sat there and just debate with small crowds, one-on-one. And after a while, the crowds started growing, and he started seeing the campuses change.
And his supporters were driving hundreds of miles to come out to watch him interact with individuals, and he always did it in a loving way. I mean, you can disagree with his views, but you can go back and watch every -- any aspect of it. And he always had a historical backing to what he would say, regardless if it had to do with -- with the Constitution, or our Founding Fathers' writings, or biblical.
COLLINS: I mean, he would even debate with you.
MULLIN: Oh, yes. Or biblical -- political views.
COLLINS: It wasn't just with liberals that he would debate with a purpose.
MULLIN: Yes, but with me. He was as passionate -- Kaitlan, he was as passionate in his debate with me on Republicans' direction in the Senate, as he would be if he was debating somebody in front of 4,000 people. He was just -- just a passionate individual. And he cared. He truly cared. And he loved this country so much, and he truly loved people too.
He would talk about the people he'd interact with sometimes that adamantly disagreed with him, and they would circle back and have conversations later on, and he would be able to share the love of Jesus Christ with them. And that was his passion as much as anybody.
COLLINS: How did you all two meet and become friends?
MULLIN: The first time we started talking was in my Senate race. There was a -- he wanted to -- he wanted to visit with me, and so we just talked, we had conversations. I wouldn't consider us friends at that time. And then, during the presidential race of, last year, we just spent a lot of time together. And then at the RNC, we really went to a different level.
And then, we got to the point where we talked all the time, and he texts a lot. And we would go back and forth, he'd have answers. Sometimes his texts would be a little lengthy, and I don't text paragraphs, so I would just pick up the phone and say, Hey, what's going on?
And then during the -- of course, during the noms process, we were -- we were talking constantly on those that he's very passionate about. And that friendship turned into a friendship with my family. He became -- he became friends with my -- with my kids.
[21:55:00] He went to Oklahoma State, where my -- I got two kids that go, and got there early just to spend time with my kids. I wasn't even there. I was here. And he was -- he just spent. And he called me, and he's like, Man, you got great kids. And my kids were able to show him around the wrestling locker room at Oklahoma State, and some of the -- get him out on the football field, and he just thought that was great. But that was a side that people didn't see.
And Kaitlan, what's frustrating about this whole thing is here you have a guy, that he wasn't a politician. You can say he was controversial or not, but I don't know why he would be controversial, because we all have a right to our views.
He was adamantly allowing people to have -- to exercise our First Amendment, which is the freedom of speech, and he would go there and just simply give a voice, give an opportunity for those that have an opposite view of him--
COLLINS: Yes.
MULLIN: --to state their position in a safe environment. Why is that a threat to somebody? Why is it a threat--
COLLINS: Well, it should have been a safe environment.
MULLIN: Yes, it should be a safe environment. But he provided a safe environment for his guest. Why would it be a threat to anybody? Why would -- why would because of his Christian values, why would it be because of his -- of his -- his political -- his political views, why was that such a threat to somebody that they felt like they needed to silence him? He wasn't making laws. He wasn't even able to change the Constitution.
COLLINS: Well, I mean, and that's why we have so many questions about this shooter, and where they are--
MULLIN: Right.
COLLINS: --and where this investigation goes.
But I just, I mean, I talked to a lot of people, in the West Wing today, who were talking about what Charlie Kirk meant for MAGA and for the movement. But also, so many of them said, it wasn't just that. He was also their friend. And I just can't imagine how hard today -- today is for people, like you--
MULLIN: It is--
COLLINS: --who are friends with him.
MULLIN: It is a -- it's a dis -- it's a disbelief as he -- as I was -- said, I think, before we got on the show, is that, I've dealt with a lot of death in my life, this one hurts. I should call my wife. And she's at the Mayo Clinic, with my son, right now. And I said, This hurts, I mean, like this, this -- this hurts because it was so senseless. It was just because someone disagreed with him, politically.
And I've had heated debates. We've had some heated debates. But that's just because we have the right to disagree or agree, and we live in the greatest country in the world.
But to resort to this?
And I don't mean to make this political at all. But I feel like the Christian values and Christians are under attack, because the same people that said that they feel threatened by traditional values, by Christian values, are now the same people that seem like they're attacking those that they disagree with, politically and -- and religiously.
And I, and once again, I just use this for example, for the last two horrific cases. But you don't seen Christians going out there, shooting up churches and schools, and trying to assassinate political enemies.
COLLINS: Yes.
MULLIN: There was no assassination attempt on President Obama or President Biden. There was no assassination attempt on any of our Democrat colleagues. And--
COLLINS: Well--
MULLIN: And I'm not saying it hasn't happened. I'm just saying, like if--
COLLINS: Right. Some people are going to hear that.
MULLIN: --in this -- in this environment. In this environment.
COLLINS: Some people are going to hear that and say, Well, look at what happened in Minnesota, last year, where Democratic lawmakers were shot, or--
MULLIN: Right.
COLLINS: --what happened to Nancy Pelosi's husband. I mean, I just it's unacceptable, obviously--
MULLIN: Yes.
COLLINS: --coming from anywhere.
But I think with Charlie Kirk, he was just so -- 31-years-old.
MULLIN: Yes.
COLLINS: Like, the idea that he's been--
MULLIN: A husband. A father.
COLLINS: Yes, to two young children, and has been in this world, building this since he was 18-years-old.
MULLIN: Right.
COLLINS: I mean, he was a child, basically, when he got started with this, just such a young adult.
MULLIN: And the impact he's had in the political environment, because of it, because--
COLLINS: Senator--
MULLIN: --and his true drive to do it.
And again, I just I -- I know we're short on time. But we all hold a responsibility to this, Republicans, Democrats, news outlets to the left and to the right.
We, in this country, have faced some very difficult times. And every time we've been at our worst, we've been able to hit a reset button and recover. And I hope, be it the rhetoric on the right and the left, that we can reset out of this.
If Charlie does anything -- if Charlie did anything, he showed true love. He showed -- loved the country. He loved everybody he came in contact with. He was -- he was -- he truly embedded the Christian values into his walk, every single day.
And if he's done anything for this country, hopefully, hopefully we can all sit down and say, Hey, it's time to take a deep breath and embrace what we have in this country, but not resort to what -- where it's went. The temperature needs to be brought down in the political environment, and this is a good opportunity to do that.
COLLINS: Yes, I think everyone can agree with that message.
Senator, thank you again, and I'm truly so sorry for your loss of your friend.
MULLIN: Well, it's his family that we need to be praying for.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely.
MULLIN: Truly praying for.
COLLINS: Thank you, Senator Markwayne Mullin.
MULLIN: Thank you.
[22:00:00]
COLLINS: And our thanks to all of our guests for joining us tonight, on such a horrific night, and those messages about what they feel needs to happen, going forward.
I want to thank you for joining us tonight as well.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" and our coverage here on CNN continues right now.
