Add The New York Post on Google Tyler Robinson’s lawyers will be playing for the ultimate stakes when he goes on trial for allegedly killing Charlie Kirk over his “LGBTQ+ agenda’’ — as they try to keep their client from the firing squad.
Last week was the first time prosecutors explicitly stated a motive for Robinson allegedly using his grandfather’s hunting rifle to shoot the conservative activist in the neck in a chilling caught-on-video slayng Sept. 10, 2025, as the married dad of two was calmly debating students at Utah Valley University.
Robinson killed Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, over what he called the victim’s “political expression” against gay marriage, trans rights and “the LGBTQ+ agenda,” the prosecution said at a hearing.
“I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out,” Robinson, 23, allegedly texted his partner Lance Twiggs, a biological male who he called by his trans furry name “Luna.”
That “hatred” pushed Robinson to allegedly take the rifle to a campus rooftop and fatally shoot Kirk as he spoke to a crowd of 4,000 people — a crime that could land him execution by firing squad.Kirk had oft spoken against gay marriage, trans rights and “the LGBTQ agenda,” which pushed Robinson to fatal violence, prosecutors told Judge Tony Graf last week at a pre-trial hearing in Provo.
“We know what charge Kirk stood for, and those ideas were repugnant to the defendant,” prosecutor Ryan McBride said.
Previous 1 of 6 Next Robinson texted Twiggs about the rifle he allegedly used in the assassination. Texts that show Robinson appear to confess to killing Kirk. Robinson told Twiggs he was concerned about his father being upset with him for losing the rifle allegedly used to kill Kirk. Robinson’s text to Twiggs detailing the aftermath of the shooting. Text messages between Tyler Robinson and his lover Lance Twiggs shortly after the Charlie Kirk assassination.Court TV Robinson told Twiggs he had been planning the assassination for over a week. Judge Graf ruled that Robinson will stand trial for first-degree murder with political targeting and other aggravating factors, a charge that could give Robinson the death penalty if convicted.He will also face six other counts, including obstruction of justice for allegedly hiding the murder weapon and witness tampering for allegedly instructing Twiggs to keep silent.Political targeting along with the risk of collateral damage could qualify Robinson for the death penalty by firing squad if he is found guilty at the yet-to-be-scheduled trial.
Robinson allegedly left behind a note that prosecutors say proves that the murder was both planned and politically motivated.
“I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it. … I wish we could have lived in a world where this did not feel necessary,” the note allegedly read.Robinson also allegedly etched political messages and trans memes onto his bullets’ cartridge casings, such as “Notices Bulge / OwO What’s This?” and “”hey fascist! CATCH!”Robinson’s defense claimed the texts and note are too ambiguous to establish a motive.
“There’s a gap between what it is Mr. Kirk said and stood for … and what it is Mr. Robinson felt about him,” Robinson’s lawyer, Richard Novak, claimed in closing arguments at the hearing.
“And it’s a significant gap because what it allows the state to do is to make it up. ‘Oh it must be about this relationship.’ “Robinson’s team also argued against the reliability of security camera footage allegedly showing him prowling the campus on the day of the killing and DNA samples collected from a rifle and screwdriver found near the crime scene.
But prosecutors said the camera footage, DNA evidence, text messages, note and video testimony from Twiggs add up to “a mountain of evidence that proves he is the shooter.”Yet theories continue to swirl that Robinson is a mere patsy covering some deeper plot, including a popular conspiracy theory that claims Kirk was killed by an exploding lapel microphone planted by Israeli agents.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, has railed against such tin-foil-hat speculation and pushed for as much evidence as possible to be shown in court and for the media cameras.
Robinson’s team has pushed to keep press cameras out of the courtroom and to keep as much evidence as possible under wraps, claiming the rabid coverage would prejudice the jury pool.
A prosecutor was already held in civil contempt of court for running his mouth to the media, violating a pretrial gag order, Judge Tony Graf ruled in June.
But Graf allowed the pre-trial hearing and almost all evidence exhibits to be broadcast — save certain graphic images of the killing, images of Robinson’s alleged note to Twiggs, which was accidentally broadcast anyway, and sections of Twiggs’ video testimony.A scheduling conference for Robinson’s trial date has been set for Oct. 23.
