CNN Hosts Clash Over Claim Accused Charlie Kirk Assassin Was 'Right-Wing'

Elie Honig disputed Tiffany Cross's assertion that the suspect in the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk had right-wing ties.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 8:55am

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CNN hosts Elie Honig and Tiffany Cross engaged in a heated debate over the political leanings of the man accused of assassinating conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Cross claimed the suspect, Tyler Robinson, was 'right-wing,' but Honig strongly disputed this, saying 'That's just not true!' The two sparred over data on political violence, with Cross citing statistics showing most such attacks come from right-wing extremists, while Honig argued the targets of violence span the political spectrum.

Why it matters

The clash highlights the partisan divide over how to characterize political violence and extremism in the U.S., with the two hosts taking sharply different stances on the ideological motivations behind high-profile attacks. It also underscores the sensitivity and controversy around the killing of a prominent conservative figure like Charlie Kirk.

The details

The debate erupted after Honig called out political violence from 'both sides of the political spectrum' on CNN's NewsNight program. Cross objected, citing data she said showed 85% of political deaths since 2001 were from right-wing extremists. She listed several high-profile attacks she characterized as being from the 'MAGA camp.' But Honig pushed back, saying the targets of violence span the political spectrum, including figures like Donald Trump and Ilhan Omar. When Honig referred to Kirk's killing, Cross interjected 'Not by a left-wing extremist!' and insisted the suspect 'espoused very right-wing' views, leading Honig to exclaim 'That's just not true! Charlie Kirk? That's not a right-wing person!'

  • The debate took place on January 28, 2026 during CNN's NewsNight program.

The players

Elie Honig

A CNN host who called out political violence from 'both sides of the political spectrum' on the network's NewsNight program.

Tiffany Cross

A CNN host who objected to Honig's characterization, citing data she said showed most political deaths since 2001 were from right-wing extremists.

Tyler Robinson

The man accused of assassinating conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Charlie Kirk

A prominent conservative commentator who was allegedly assassinated.

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What they’re saying

“When you think about the big right-wing attacks that have happened in the past 10 years or so, there was the Dylann Roof shooting in Charleston. There was the Tree of Life Synagogue attack. There was The El Paso Walmart incident. There were the 2020 arrest of the 13 men who attempted to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. So every time I hear people say it's both sides, there is no data to back that up, and there's not even a lot of anecdotal evidence to say that.”

— Tiffany Cross, CNN Host

“That's just not true! Charlie Kirk? That's not a right-wing person!”

— Elie Honig, CNN Host

The takeaway

The clash between Honig and Cross underscores the deep partisan divides over how to characterize political violence and extremism in the U.S., with the two hosts taking sharply different stances on the ideological motivations behind high-profile attacks. It highlights the sensitivity and controversy around the killing of a prominent conservative figure like Charlie Kirk.