'She didn’t want the facts!' Ted Cruz defends fiery interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Wednesday defended his behavior during a heated interview Tuesday night with CNN's Kaitlan Collins over conservative activist Charlie Kirk's assassination.

Cruz appeared on Collins' show, "The Source," on Tuesday to discuss the latest developments in the investigation into Kirk's murder. During the interview, Collins claimed the shooter's motive is still unknown, a claim that Cruz took issue with. The two exchanged heated crosstalk throughout the interview, with Cruz arguing forcefully that the shooter was motivated by a radical leftwing ideology.

Cruz defended the interview on a new episode of his podcast, "Verdict," which was released on Wednesday.

"I went on CNN to battle with Kaitlin Collins, and I got to say, she screamed at me," Cruz said. "She interrupted me. She did not want the facts. She did not want to admit any of the reality. She had a political narrative, and she was going to stick with it."

Cruz's comments happened at a time of intense debate about the circumstances leading up to Kirk's murder. President Donald Trump and several other rightwing figures were quick to blame leftwing groups for Kirk's assassination. Attorney General Pam Bondi has also promised to crack down on "hate speech" about Kirk's death.

Democrats and other leftwing groups have denounced Kirk's murder.