Scott Jennings sharply criticized fellow panelists on CNN on Tuesday after they suggested the accused shooter in the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk may have been motivated by personal emotion rather than political hatred.
During CNN’s NewsNight, Jennings said newly released text messages and other physical evidence point to a politically motivated attack, and he rejected a line of commentary that framed the suspect as driven primarily by a personal grievance.
Police have identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect in the shooting that left Kirk dead after an appearance at Utah Valley University. Authorities on Tuesday released text messages they say Robinson sent to his transgender partner hours after the shooting. One message quoted in police statements said, "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it." Another message attributed to Robinson said, "I had enough of [Kirk's] hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out."
On the CNN panel, former talk-show host Montel Williams described Robinson as a "love-torn child" and said the shooting appeared to be motivated by personal, emotional factors tied to a relationship. "This is probably his first real relationship. And somebody was disparaging the person that he loved," Williams said, arguing the suspect "tried to defend his significant other, not... some ideology."
Jennings interrupted that narrative, calling the evidence "overwhelming" and saying the messages and other material recovered by investigators point to anti-conservative sentiment. "He said, 'Charlie Kirk, I can't stand this hate anymore. I'm going to take him out,'" Jennings said on air. He also cited prosecutors' accounts that phrases were found etched into ammunition authorities say was recovered with a rifle thought to be used in the shooting. "Left-wing radicalism got this kid. He went up to a roof and he murdered our friend. And that's what happened," Jennings said.
Officials and acquaintances have offered differing details about Robinson's background and motivations. On NBC's Meet the Press, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Robinson came from a conservative family but that "his ideology was very different than his family." Cox also said friends had reported Robinson had been active in online gaming communities and "deep, dark" internet forums.
In text messages cited by police and discussed on CNN, Robinson reportedly referenced the etched phrases on the ammunition, calling them "mostly a big meme." He also told his partner he had been planning the shooting "for a little over a week" and said he had hoped to keep the plan secret "till I died of old age," according to police statements. Robinson has not been cooperating with investigators, while police said his partner is cooperating.
Officials have not completed their public account of the investigation, and law enforcement has continued to gather evidence and witness statements. The debate on CNN reflected broader tensions in national coverage as commentators and officials seek to explain whether the attack stemmed from political extremism, personal grievance, or a combination of influences.
The killing has prompted public scrutiny of the suspect's online activity, the messages recovered by authorities, and how media and political commentators characterize motive as investigators pursue a fuller record of the events that led to the shooting.
Authorities have charged Robinson in connection with the shooting and have disclosed some of the messages and physical evidence to the public; they said additional testimony and evidence will be released as the investigation proceeds and as prosecutors prepare their case.