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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Kirk Shooting Suspect In Custody After 33-Hour Manhunt; Trump Attacks "Radical Left" Amid Calls For Political Restraint; Erika Kirk Vows Never To Let Her Husband's Movement Die. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired September 12, 2025 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: With AI now, they can do, what used to take a 100 days, in 17 hours.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Wow.
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COOPER: Tomorrow night, CNN journalists, including Sanjay, and me, present a look at eight trailblazers who are making groundbreaking changes across communities. "Champions For Change" airs Saturday, 10:00 p.m. on CNN.
The news continues. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST: Tonight, police have a suspect in custody for the murder of Charlie Kirk, but sources say he's not speaking to investigators as of this moment.
As we just heard for the first time from Charlie Kirk's widow. We'll bring you those comments.
I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
Tonight, after 33 hours and more than a 11,000 tips, the manhunt in Utah is over. But the search for answers is only beginning. The more we learn about the man the Feds say killed Charlie Kirk, the more questions there are tonight about his motive. No one wants those answers, right now, more than Charlie Kirk's family, and his closest friends, as we are hearing, this evening, for the first time from his widow, Erika Kirk, speaking from her late husband's studio.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIKA KIRK, CHARLIE KIRK'S WIDOW: Two days ago, my husband, Charlie, went to see the face of his Savior and his God. Charlie always said that when he was gone, he wanted to be remembered for his courage and for his faith. And one of the final conversations that he had on this earth, my husband witnessed for his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, and for all eternity, he will stand at his Savior's side, wearing the glorious crown of a martyr.
Charlie loved, loved life. He loved his life. He loved America. He loved nature, which helped him always bring him closer to God. He loved the Chicago Cubs and, my goodness, did he love the Oregon Ducks? He'd want me to say, Go Ducks, so I have to, since they play on Saturday, so Go Ducks.
But most of all, Charlie loved his children, and he loved me, with all of his heart, and I knew that. Every day, I knew that. He made sure I knew that every day. Every day, he would ask me, How can I serve you better? How can I be a better husband? How can I be a better father? Every day. Every day. Such a good man. He still is a good man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The composure, poise and resiliency that she just showed tonight, amid her grief, is nothing short of remarkable. And our thoughts are with Erika and her family, because she now is in the middle of preparing for a funeral, and a future without her husband.
As tonight, law enforcement officials are still piecing together the clues in a very complex investigation, one that is now focusing solely on the 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who was taken into custody late last night, right after THE SOURCE went off air, nearly 300 miles from where officials say he fired a single bullet from that rooftop at Utah Valley University.
In the end, authorities say it was Robinson's own family and a family friend who led investigators to him. Officials say that Robinson's father recognized him in these pictures that were put out by the FBI, yesterday.
A source tells CNN that when he confronted his son, Robinson responded, quote, I would rather kill myself than turn myself in. His father somehow persuaded him to talk to a youth pastor. And in that conversation, officials say, Robinson confessed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SPENCER COX (R-UT): A family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend who contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office with information that Robinson had confessed to them, or implied that he had committed the incident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Tonight, Robinson is being held without bail in a Utah jail, and he's expected to be in court, this Tuesday, when those formal charges will be filed. A source tells CNN, he was initially talking to investigators. But since he got an attorney, he has gone silent.
[21:05:00]
Investigators have been searching his apartment in St. George, Utah, today for a clearer picture of who he is and why they say he did what he did.
CNN has learned that Robinson was enrolled in an electrical apprenticeship program at a local college. His voter registration records show that he's not affiliated with any political party, and he didn't vote in the last two elections.
His family told investigators that he had been getting more political, in recent years, and they told officials about a recent conversation they had with him during a dinner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COX: In the conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn't like him and the viewpoints that he had. The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Investigators are also trying to make sense of differing messages that were engraved on bullet casings found next to the rifle, that officials say he ditched in the woods during his getaway. Those messages include Hey, fascist, Catch. Another referenced an Italian anti-fascist song. Others referred to video games and memes from different corners of the internet. And the messages might not be as clear as they seem.
What is clear tonight is that Robinson was extremely online. And tonight, investigators, and even amateur investigators, have been digging for clues in a twisted trail that he left behind.
I want to start this evening with CNN's Ed Lavandera, who is live in Orem, Utah.
And Ed, obviously, we're watching to see all the pieces of this investigation, and what's happening here.
But hearing tonight from Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, in those comments, where she thanked the first responders and praised them, for what happened and their efforts that day. She vowed to continue his legacy. But just to hear from her, and what she had to say, when their 3-year-old daughter asked her where daddy was, is just nothing short of heartbreaking. ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, there's no question that in the midst of this incredibly high-profile murder that the entire world witnessed, and many students witnessed up close, it's very striking that she makes these first public comments in the days after, in the aftermath of this tragedy. For this family, these comments come on the very day and hours after the suspect is apprehended after a 33-hour manhunt.
And in these comments tonight, she spoke for almost 20 minutes, as you saw there at the beginning of the show, standing next to her husband's chair that he would normally carry out his broadcast from, in Phoenix, Arizona. And she talked about, as you mentioned, carrying on his legacy. She talked about how she believes that his voice will only grow stronger and louder, and she described him as a martyr.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
E. KIRK: The evildoers, responsible for my husband's assassination, have no idea what they have done. They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith and of God's merciful love.
They should all know this: 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, and this world. You have no idea. You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: And Kaitlan, as Erika Kirk continued to talk, she vowed to continue on her husband's legacy at Turning Point USA. She said that these tours that he was kicking off, here at the University in Utah, that it will continue as well. And it sounded very much like she would be very much involved in the future of Turning Point USA and part of its continuing legacy that, in her words, would honor her late husband.
So, that will be an interesting development to watch in the months and years ahead, as the Turning Point USA political movement continues, and what Charlie Kirk's legacy will mean to that, and how her role in this organization will continue to play out in the months and years ahead.
Kaitlan.
COLLINS: Yes. It's just remarkable to hear from her tonight.
Ed Lavandera, thank you for that reporting. Keep us updated on what you're hearing on the ground in Utah.
And also here tonight is:
CNN's Senior Legal Analyst, Elie Honig.
The former FBI Deputy Director, Andrew McCabe. And our CNN Contributor, Kara Swisher, who hosts the podcasts "On with Kara Swisher" and "Pivot."
And it's great to have all of you.
[21:10:00]
Elie, just on the -- what we're expecting to see in court on Tuesday, these formal charges have not been filed yet. He's being held right now in a county jail on aggravated murder charges. One, what are we going to see on Tuesday? And also, when we talk about these state charges versus federal charges, can you kind of lay out the difference and what the significance of that is?
ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NY: Right. So first of all, the fact that he is being held on an aggravated murder charge tells me that the state- level authorities, that's a state charge in Utah, are absolutely serious about seeking the death penalty.
Because they could have charged him with first degree murder, but that's a life max. Instead, they've designated as aggravated murder, which is a step up, which will make him death-eligible. And I think we're going to see that same charge in the actual formal charges that come down Tuesday.
Tuesday is going to be a fairly straightforward proceeding. Apparently, it's happening by Zoom. They'll make -- the judge will make sure he has an attorney. If he can't pay one, they will appoint a court -- a court-appointed attorney, advise him of the charges. He'll enter a not guilty plea. He'll be continued to be held without bail, and that's that.
Now the separate question is, will the Feds bring a charge two? They can. It's not double jeopardy. You can prosecute someone both state and federal. We've seen that in some high-profile cases. The trick, for DOJ, is going to be they need to find a federal hook, because not every murder is going to be federal, and I don't see an obvious one.
The best hook I see, is they can charge him with criminal violation of civil rights. And the civil right here would be Charlie Kirk's First Amendment right to free speech, to political speech. Now, a case has never been charged exactly that way before. But Pam Bondi has made some indications in that direction, and that looks to me like the best hook to get this into federal court as well.
COLLINS: Yes, and Andrew McCabe, as we're waiting for those charges and what this is going to look like, on Tuesday. Obviously, he's being held without bail until then. But what stands out to you, as the former Deputy Director of the FBI, of how this arrest happened, and kind of the profile we're seeing.
Because obviously, his family -- you know, last night, we were hearing from investigators. They didn't seem to have a lot of clues as to where he was or what was happening. We're seeing that grainy footage they released this hour, 24 hours ago. And then obviously his family got involved here, and confronted him when they realized those pictures looked a lot like him.
ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST, FORMER FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR: Yes, this thing went from zero to 100, last night, with the release of the video and the much clearer still photographs. And that was why they did that, right? The video was released in an effort to draw people's attention to the photographs.
The photographs have the detail and the clarity to provide kind of the images that people who knew him would actually respond to. So, they threw the Hail Mary pass, and it was caught by his family. That was really kind of the result they were hoping for, not specifically the family, but someone who knew him, seeing that stuff and responding exactly the way his family did.
The thing that really stands out to me, the massive question that I have from the -- from the press conference today, and all the things that we've learned today, is the status of this roommate who they interacted with last night.
Clearly, investigators went to the roommate's location. Roommate was very cooperative, and provided his phone to the investigators to see the substance of these chats that took place on Discord, which is a gaming, ultimately, an app built to facilitate communication between gamers.
And it is in that that Richardson (ph) allegedly makes all these comments about, Look -- you know, having to go back and retrieve the weapon, where he placed the weapon, the fact that he was surveilling the location to come up with a time to go in and get it.
That exchange raises this question of, what did the roommate know? Was the roommate knowledgeable about this plan ahead of time? Was the roommate involved in the planning or the execution of this attack? So, even though the Governor said that they didn't anticipate charging anyone else, I think there's a big question hanging out there about, what is the status of this roommate?
COLLINS: Yes, I had so many questions about that too, as we were listening to what they were saying about going through, and basically the roommate was letting them take pictures of the messages that had been -- had been shared from his phone.
And Kara, as far as these messages go that were on the bullet casings. We'll show some of them to people--
KARA SWISHER, PODCAST HOST, "ON WITH KARA SWISHER" & "PIVOT", CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes.
COLLINS: --because the Governor read them out loud. We kind of created a graphic of what exactly the Governor had described here.
SWISHER: Yes.
COLLINS: Obviously, one thing that's clear is, Robinson was extremely online, and a lot of these are references that people--
SWISHER: Yes.
COLLINS: --who aren't -- wouldn't understand. Some of that comes from dark corners of the internet, gaming culture.
I wonder what stands out to you from what you've seen here?
SWISHER: Well, actually, it's not that dark a corner of the internet. A lot of it's from different memes. And the one -- the bulges, one is from a thing about, I hate to say this, furries and role-playing, and it's joking on these -- on these websites.
[21:15:00]
The other one, all the arrows, comes from a video game called Hell -- I think it's called Helldivers 2, and that's the instructions on how to drop a bomb, for example. That's what you push. And you fight fascists, but you're also a fascist. It's sort of like they're very ironic on there. The anti-gay thing is something they do online, in these -- in these areas -- in these meme areas, and things like that.
So they're -- it's not like the -- the bulges thing isn't political necessarily. It's just part of this sort of nihilistic, whatever culture that exists online, especially mostly for young men who are extremely online. And I would say, this guy seems like he was terminally online and spending a lot of time on these sites. And it can be isolating, and it also -- some people, they're perfectly fine. Other people, it can really radicalize them.
COLLINS: Well, and Elie on that front. I mean, everyone is an expert now, and trying to say, Well, this means that this person was this, or This means they were that.
If you're an investigator and you're looking through this, regardless of where you are, right or left, this is an accused killer. And so, do you -- have you -- can they develop a clear ideology yet, or motive? Or how does that work?
HONIG: You don't even need to. I mean, the first -- all you have to establish, especially for the state charge, is that he is the killer.
Now, a motive, I think, is clear. He wanted to kill Charlie Kirk. But what his broader ideology is, is for people to debate and discuss. I think Kara, from what we know so far, hit the nail on the head. This guy just looks like a terminally online nihilist. I think that's a perfect characterization, based on what we know so far.
But remember, the job of the cops, the investigators, the prosecutors, is just to tie him to the murder. That's it. That's all they're aiming to do. That's their duty.
COLLINS: Yes. But of course, even online, we are seeing what they are doing.
HONIG: Yes.
COLLINS: Elie Honig, great to have you. HONIG: Thanks, Kaitlan.
COLLINS: Kara Swisher, Andrew McCabe, as well.
Of course, we'll continue to follow each part of this investigation.
Up next. What we're hearing from the President of the United States. Earlier, he said, quote, I could not care less, when he was asked about bringing the country back together. We'll play the full soundbite, so you can listen to it yourself.
And we'll be joined by The New York Times' Maggie Haberman, ahead.
[21:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: From the day since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, many of our elected leaders have been asked how to take the temperature down and to bring the country together.
It's a question that was also posed to President Trump himself, earlier this morning. This is how he answered.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AINSLEY EARHARDT, FOX & FRIENDS CO-HOST, FOX NEWS CHANNEL: We have radicals on the right as well. We have radicals on the left. People have gotten are watching all of these videos and cheering. Some people are cheering that Charlie was killed. How do we fix this country? How do we come back together?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well, I'll tell you something that's going to get me in trouble, but I couldn't care less. The radicals on the right, oftentimes are radical because they don't want to see crime. They don't want to see crime.
BRIAN KILMEADE, FOX & FRIENDS CO-HOST, FOX NEWS CHANNEL: Worried about the border.
D. TRUMP: They're saying, We don't want these people coming in. We don't want you burning our shopping centers. We don't want you shooting our people in the middle of the street.
The radicals on the left are the problem, and they're vicious, and they're horrible, and they're politically savvy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: You heard the President there, acknowledging that there are extremes on both sides. But the President also seemed to excuse those on the right in his comments. White House officials noted that the President did say yesterday, that his supporters should respond to Charlie Kirk's death with nonviolence.
But compare what the President had to say today, when he was asked multiple times about bringing the temperature down, bringing the country together, with what we heard from Utah's Republican governor, Spencer Cox, as he used his moment in the spotlight today to say this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COX: We can return violence with violence. We can return hate with hate. And that's the problem with political violence, is it metastasizes, because 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. But see, these are choices that we can make. 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Joining me tonight, White House Correspondent for The New York Times, Maggie Haberman.
And, I mean, the contrast there is evident, in just listening to those two moments back-to-back. I wonder what you make of how the President has been answering questions about this, compared to what he said yesterday, when he was asked about nonviolence, and to what he said today.
MAGGIE HABERMAN, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST, AUTHOR, "CONFIDENCE MAN": I think it depends on when somebody catches him as to exactly what he is going to say.
I think that a lot of his folks are -- look, you know this, Kaitlan. So many people around President Trump are very close to Charlie Park. President Trump is very close to Charlie Kirk. And President Trump faced two assassination attempts, one near-miss, last year. And so, all of that is a lot of the context for how people in the White House and the President are responding to this.
I think that he is -- he is struggling with this, in terms of how to deal with this. I think that we have seen moments, when President Trump has, over time, episodically, been calmer and more of a traditional leader at various points in term one.
I think that he is never going to be the person who is going to be sort of the clearest talker about this. He is -- I don't think you're ever going to hear him say something, like what Governor Cox said. I think that he is saying what he thinks, and he is who he is, and I think that people knew that before they voted for him.
COLLINS: Well, and one thing though, in listening to that -- I think you're right about when he's asked. I mean, he was asked multiple times, though, in that interview, this morning.
HABERMAN: Yes.
[21:25:00]
COLLINS: But I want you to listen to what two of his sons -- because you mentioned the closeness between so many White House staffers, who consider Charlie Kirk their friend, who's on a first-name basis with a lot of them.
HABERMAN: They considered him like family. They really did, most of them.
COLLINS: Like, he was like a staffer.
HABERMAN: Yes, correct.
COLLINS: Who just didn't work in the West Wing basically.
HABERMAN: Several people said that, but for some of them, he was -- he was as close as a sibling.
COLLINS: Yes, and Donald Trump Jr. have said that, that he was like a brother to him. And obviously, he and Eric Trump are mourning this. But I want you to listen to what we heard from the two of them, in response to this today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP JR., AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN, DONALD TRUMP'S SON: When the left realizes that they're losing arguments, they resort to these violence.
MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS HOST: But you know, Don--
TRUMP JR.: I see the constant--
MACCALLUM: Yes--
TRUMP JR.: --that the violence goes both ways. And it does not, Martha. The violence is going one way.
It's coming from those aligned with the Democrat Party. The hate has been fomented by those in the Democrat Party.
ERIC TRUMP, AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN, DONALD TRUMP'S SON: The decorum is only going one way in this country. And yet, we're the ones that are labeled as the fascists. Isn't that kind of ironic? You know, Hey, the Republicans in this country are generally the ones that have the guns. We're the ones that believed in the Second Amendment. You know, they're not doing this shooting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: It's not true that there's only political violence on one side. I mean, we just saw Democratic lawmakers assassinated, a few months ago. And obviously we've seen many other instances, on both sides.
I just wonder, though, what you make of that, in terms of hearing arguments like that, pretty similar to the ones the President said in his Oval Office address, the other night. HABERMAN: I think that you may continue to hear arguments like that. I think that we don't know, and I think you addressed this earlier in the show, a lot about this alleged shooter. We don't know what -- why he did this. We don't know exactly what he was thinking. We know that people have talked about the etchings on the shell casings. We know about some of his family life. And we know that he was turned in by family members, which is, I think, significant.
In terms of how they're processing it. What I make of it is that we are in a period of great polarity, and I think that was something that Governor Cox talked to, and I don't know what comes next.
COLLINS: Well, and in terms of, you just mentioned the family members and their involvement. Last night, we had a press conference on the show that we aired, of where -- it didn't seem like investigators had gotten very far in terms of finding this person.
HABERMAN: Right.
COLLINS: So, it was kind of surprising, actually, to hear the President announce it this morning. Obviously, it moved quickly because of the family's involvement. Some on the right have been criticizing the FBI director, who was there with the Governor today, about basically how he's been handling this.
HABERMAN: Yes.
COLLINS: Steve Bannon is who I'm thinking of. I want people to listen to what he had to say on his show today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE BANNON, EXECUTIVE AND FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF STRATEGIST: I don't know why Kash flew out there, you know, thousands of miles to give us, Hey, working partnerships and our great partnership in Utah.
OK, got that. No offense to the law enforcement guys in the future of this. The public assumes that you're working together as partnerships.
Charlie Kirk was assassinated in cold blood by a left-wing Antifa- affiliated or Antifa-aligned person, OK? We want to find out about him. We want more details about him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: I didn't hear law enforcement say Antifa today, when they were talking about what they did know about him.
HABERMAN: Yes.
COLLINS: Obviously we are -- I mean, they've only had him for less than 24 hours, so we'll see how that plays out.
But I wonder, given Kash Patel flew out there, which Andrew McCabe said is unusual for the FBI director, typically, to do. What you've been hearing about the role that he's played in this, the confusing messages about a suspect in custody, a person of interest that were contradicting what other people were saying.
HABERMAN: Yes, look, I mean, just first of all, as you noted, there has been a significant uptick in political violence. There have been Democrats who have been victims. There have been Republicans who have been victims. We still have a lot to learn about this.
And what happened to Charlie Kirk was horrific, watching it. It's still -- I think a lot of people are still processing it, especially because this is -- was so online. He has -- in terms of people seeing it. He has two small children. That, I think, is factoring into some of the responses, in terms of people are learning things in real-time, very quickly, about what takes place with law enforcement these days.
And you have somebody, like an FBI director, who is very online, who comes from an online world, and is pretty new to law enforcement from this side, and there was a lot of frustration among Republicans that I have heard, and with administration officials, that there was such a lag time in capturing this person who, as we said earlier, was not caught by law enforcement directly or by their work. This was--
COLLINS: Yes, it was his family.
HABERMAN: This was his family turning him in. A lot of time lapse between the shooting, and the first claim that there was somebody in custody, which was all over the internet, then that wasn't the person. Then Kash Patel posted on X, We have the person in custody. And then two hours later, was actually, that person is released.
[21:30:00]
There is a reason that things like that don't happen. There is also a reason Steve Bannon is correct, that usually you see the FBI director kind of head-down, trying to figure out what's what. Not flying around this way.
COLLINS: Yes. Maggie Haberman, thanks for joining us tonight.
HABERMAN: Thanks, Kaitlan.
COLLINS: She is the Author of "Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America."
Up next here for us on THE SOURCE. What is next for Turning Point USA, which is this massive organization that Charlie Kirk himself built from scratch, as an 18-year-old. We're going to speak to our political sources, and Scott Jennings, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:35:00]
COLLINS: Tonight, Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, is vowing that her late husband's conservative organization, Turning Point USA, will carry on in its mission.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) E. KIRK: To everyone listening tonight, across America, the movement my husband built will not die. It won't. I refuse to let that happen. It will not die. All of us will refuse to let that happen. No one will ever forget my husband's name, and I will make sure of it.
CHARLIE KIRK, AMERICAN POLITICAL ACTIVIST AND AUTHOR: So I'm not going to talk long. I just want to say I am so thankful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Erika Kirk says that the group's scheduled tour of fall campus -- of campuses, this fall, will continue.
And politics aside, the Kirk family, and everyone who knows and loves them, are hurting. And tonight, as Erika referenced in her remarks, two children are missing their father.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
E. KIRK: When I got home last night, Gigi, our daughter, just ran into our -- my arms.
And I talked to her, and she said, Mommy, I missed you.
I said, I miss you too, baby.
She goes, Where's Daddy?
What do you tell a 3-year-old? She's 3.
I said, Baby, Daddy loves you so much. Don't you worry. He's on a -- he's on a work trip with Jesus, so he can afford your blueberry budget.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Just absolutely heartbreaking to hear from her.
My political sources are here with me tonight.
Scott Jennings is the former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush.
Ashley Allison is the former White House adviser to President Obama.
And Scott, I mean, it's hard to hear from Erika tonight, and those words of just what this means for her, personally and for their family. And obviously, the devastation is so clear in her voice.
And the one thing though, that she also wanted to make clear in those remarks was what the future of Turning Point USA is going to be, and saying that she will go on and continue it.
I wonder what you think is the best way to continue that work.
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO MITCH MCCONNELL, FORMER SPECIAL ASST. TO PRES. GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, first of all, if I may address Erika, and I thought she was incredibly brave and courageous and poised in her remarks tonight. And as a father of four, I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to have to tell them that a parent, a spouse, is not coming home. To hear her describe that is gutting.
So anyway, I was amazed at what she was able to do tonight, and the way she communicated with the American people, the way she communicated with the Turning Point people, and the family and the organization they've built.
I mean, it's pretty obvious this thing is going to roll on, and they're going to continue to do their tours. They're going to continue their organization. They'd show up on campuses this fall.
If you think you saw large crowds at Turning Point events before, just wait, because I think what's happened here is they have unleashed thousands of Charlie Kirks, people who want to show up, speak their values, engage in civil discourse, and be engaged in American politics.
And so, I'm glad they're going to continue. They've been a huge force in conservative politics. They helped President Trump win.
COLLINS: Yes.
JENNINGS: The external stuff that people see is interesting, and the data stuff they do behind-the-scene is then the technical -- the mechanical stuff is also a juggernaut. So, it's really a -- it's really an important organization, and I have no doubt it's going to continue, and we'll see what form it takes.
COLLINS: Yes.
JENNINGS: But they're not going anywhere.
COLLINS: Ashley, I wonder what you make of all of this.
ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER WH SENIOR POLICY ADVISER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA, NATIONAL COALITIONS DIRECTOR FOR BIDEN- HARRIS 2020: Yes, I have been really silent over the last couple of hours, since the killing happened.
Look, I have to say this, every time I'm on air, and publicly and privately, because I think what we say privately matters just as much as what we say publicly. Violence has no place of any form.
There was some other things that his widow said that was sitting with me about his spirit reverberating on, and I believe that. I believe what Scott says. I don't think that killing somebody, that people really believe in, is going to ever stop a movement. It usually, history shows, it usually propels it.
But I pray, I've been praying a lot over the last couple of years, but particularly in last couple of hours, that there's something different that shows up on those campuses, and that that it's peace, not just from conservatives, but from progressives.
I know that most of what Charlie Kirk said, I did not agree with. Some of the things Charlie Kirk said really hurt me as a person. But my humanness, my faith, still allows me to mourn the loss of a life, and also be able to say that killing someone you disagree with is wrong.
And I want leaders.
[21:40:00]
You know, Scott, I've met your children. I would never, ever want anything terrible to happen to you, or your kids, just like I was sick to my stomach when I heard what happened with Charlie Kirk.
But we just are at a point where, if we don't like -- people are watching this right now, they don't even care. Some people don't even care what I'm saying, because all they see is a Democrat. And some people won't even care what Scott is saying, because all they see is a Republican. And if that is all you're getting out of this moment, we have lost the point.
So, I don't really care about politics right now. I care about kindness. I care about peace. I care about changing the tenor of this country. I can disagree, but the thing that makes America great is that I can disagree with you, I go in the green rooms all the time with Scott, and I try and persuade him to agree with me. I don't try and be aggressive to him. It's what actually has made us be able to develop a friendship. And I just wish more people could see that.
And I also will say to people who really found some of the things that Charlie Kirk said to be offensive? That is OK. But what I would challenge you to do is to stand fast -- and steadfast in your belief, but also stand steadfast in peace, and find a way to have conversations what we -- that we disagree with. We do not -- the only way you win an argument is to actually have a conversation. It is never by shouting louder or being more violent. It just isn't.
COLLINS: Yes. Scott, we have less than a minute left, but I wonder what you think of that. I mean, we have you and Ashley on all the time. You disagree on a lot of issues, but you're both agreeable to each other when you do it.
JENNINGS: Yes.
Well, first of all, I love Ashley. And after this happened, a lot of conservatives -- I mean, I was freaked out. I'll be honest with you. I was on CNN, when Charlie died, when the news came out, and I told Ashley I was -- I was freaked out, and I thought there were bad vibes in the country, and I didn't know what to do about it.
And she sent me the greatest note, and she said, Why are we in each other's lives? And it's because we both love our country. It's because we both love Jesus. It's because we both read the Bible every day, and it's because we both pray every day. And she sent me this long prayer for peace in our country, and for a better future for our children, for my children, for our next generation. And it was, it was really nice.
And so anyway, I agree with Ashley. I hope we have those kinds of sentiments in the country. I do think there's a lot of conversations, the hard conversations that are going to be had in the weeks ahead.
But I love you, Ashley, and I appreciate you, and appreciate what you said tonight, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
ALLISON: We will -- we have to see a better day.
COLLINS: I loved here -- I loved this.
ALLISON: We have to, in this country.
COLLINS: This is my favorite segment of the whole show tonight.
Scott Jennings. Ashley Allison. Thank you both, as always, but especially tonight.
ALLISON: Thanks, Scott. Thanks, Kaitlan.
COLLINS: And we'll be back with Anderson Cooper, in a quick moment.
[21:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: And now it's time for a look this week Behind The Scenes at the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CHEERING)
ON SCREEN TEXT: Monday September 8.
D. TRUMP: You know, I had to take down the tents. We had over 58 tent cities that we took down, right in the middle of our parks, right next to our great buildings, Supreme Court.
COLLINS: Congress just released hundreds of documents from Jeffrey Epstein's estate, including that birthday letter that President Trump said didn't exist.
The White House has denied the drawing existed. They denied that it was Trump's signature. Tonight, they are denying it, saying that releasing it is proof that it's not his signature.
What do you make of the White House's defense here?
REP. JASMINE CROCKETT (D-TX): The fact that the President is a liar.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Tuesday September 9.
COLLINS: There are real questions for the White House about what they knew about this strike. KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This morning, the Trump administration was notified by the United States military that as Israel was attacking Hamas, which very unfortunately, was located in a section of Doha, the capital of Qatar.
COLLINS: The sign that you see over my left shoulder here, right in front of the White House, was actually basically the subject of what came up, repeatedly, during today's press briefing, which is the Jeffrey Epstein saga.
REPORTER: Did you sign the Jeffrey Epstein birthday letter that--
D. TRUMP: It's not my signature, and it's not the way I speak.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Wednesday September 10.
(PEOPLE SCRAMBLING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amy (ph).
BEAU MASON, COMMISSIONER, UTAH DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY: Today at approximately 12:20 Mountain Standard Time, political influencer Charlie Kirk was shot at an event, at the Utah Valley University.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.
COX: It's a tragic day for our nation. I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination.
COLLINS: He played a huge role in the 2024 election, in turning out the conservative youth vote for President Trump, and the President himself has credited him with helping secure his victory, in 2024, for young voters.
It's just an incredibly dark day for everyone.
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Now is a time of reflection for America. We can stop this.
D. TRUMP: Charlie inspired millions. And tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Thursday September 11.
COLLINS: Anything in the investigation, or anything in the latest that you've heard from the FBI, or Kash Patel?
[21:50:00]
D. TRUMP: No, they've reported to me so far pretty much what you see in the news is what it is. They have a virtual manhunt out there. So we'll see what happens.
COLLINS: When President Trump was at the Pentagon, on Thursday, to mark 24 years since 9/11, he also addressed the assassination of Charlie Kirk during that ceremony. D. TRUMP: I have no doubt that Charlie's voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people will live on.
COLLINS: He said that he plans to award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Friday September 12.
COX: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We got him.
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.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[21:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: This week on CNN, we're recognizing "Champions For Change," men and women who are using their talents in areas like business, medicine and music to make life better for others.
Tonight, CNN Anchor, Anderson Cooper, introduces us to his champion, Mark Moore, who is fighting to end the global hunger crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): Mark Moore's company, MANA Nutrition, helps save the lives of malnourished and starving children around the world.
MANA Nutrition makes what's called Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, RUTF for short. It's made with peanut butter, powdered milk, sugar and vitamins, a simple recipe that's revolutionary in the fight against hunger. It can bring severely malnourished kids back from the brink of death.
Mark's factory is in rural Georgia. But he began working in Africa decades ago.
COOPER (on camera): When was the first time you went to Africa?
MARK MOORE, CEO & CO-FOUNDER, MANA NUTRITION: I went in the late 80s.
COOPER (on camera): Yes.
MOORE: And I was a college kid.
COOPER (on camera): What was it about Africa that changed you?
MOORE: I grew up in Flint, thinking I was a poor kid. But then you go to Nairobi and you realize, you know, I was born on third base. And that powerful experience just gets in your blood.
COOPER (voice-over): Nearly 20 years ago, Mark was an Africa specialist in the U.S. Senate, when he saw a report I did on this miraculous treatment that was saving kids' lives.
Back then, it was made by just one French company. Their product was called Plumpy'Nut. They had stopped eating and become listless and weak, so weak that when their mothers brought them to get Plumpy'Nut, the nurse put them in a van and sent them straight to the hospital.
Three days later, however, they were smacking their lips on Plumpy'Nut, almost ready to go home.
Sometimes parents wait too long before bringing their child to doctors. We found Rashida Mamadou (ph) in intensive care. Just two hours later, Rashida's (ph) little heart stopped beating. Mark says, that story changed his life.
MOORE: I just thought, how come I've never heard of this? This is kind of too good to be true.
COOPER (on camera): That's what I thought as well.
MOORE: And then I thought, Well, somebody should do this in the U.S.
COOPER (voice-over): From that, MANA Nutrition was born. A nonprofit built next to a peanut field in Fitzgerald, Georgia, has been producing its own RUTF since 2010.
MOORE: So this map logs the 57 countries that MANA has gone to since it started.
COOPER (on camera): How many kids have you saved, do you think?
MOORE: At least 10 million, if you look at the production numbers.
COOPER (on camera): 10 million?
MICHAEL NYENHUIS, CEO, UNICEF USA: There are a number of RUTF suppliers around the world that we're able to tap into. MANA is one of the most crucial, especially as it comes to us being able to utilize U.S. government funding. And so, they're essential to the whole system, and we just couldn't do much of our work without him.
MOORE: Good to see you brother. How are you?
COOPER (on camera): There's got to be a lot of pride in the community to--
MOORE: Very proud. Yes.
COOPER (on camera): --to do this work.
MOORE: Yes, great people. People are inspired and -- and that they make a difference.
COOPER (voice-over): We first met Mark in February, after the State Department canceled all of MANA's USAID contracts.
MOORE: This is too important for us to have a pity party that we got cut.
COOPER (voice-over): Mark's determination paid off. Those orders for RUTF have been reinstated. And in late August, they got their first new order from the U.S. government in eight months.
COOPER (on camera): This whole thing is called Champions For Change. What's the change you've seen?
MOORE: Well, I'm not sure I'm a champion. But if I were to aspire to that, I would say, any child deserves to meet their potential. I see children meeting their potential, when before we were losing them to this useless death. These aren't our kids. But in the great human family, they are our kids.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: And Anderson Cooper joins me now.
And Anderson, I mean, obviously, hunger is such a constant crisis, that people are trying to figure out how to solve and deal with. And it's remarkable to see that, and see how there is something that seems simple and helpful to save so many lives.
[22:00:00]
COOPER: Yes, it's easy to make, and it can be handed out to mothers in nations with kids who are malnourished or starving. It doesn't need to be refrigerated. It has a long shelf life. It doesn't need a doctor to distribute it. It's a remarkable product, and it's saved, I mean, Mark's product alone has saved tens of -- you know, at least 10 million lives, which is extraordinary.
COLLINS: Yes, it absolutely is.
Anderson Cooper, thank you so much.
And for everyone else, be sure to tune in Saturday, 10:00 p.m. Eastern. You'll see the entire "Champions For Change" one-hour special.
Thank you so much for joining us tonight.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts now.
