US5 min(s) read
Published 15:58 10 Jul 2026 GMT
Donald Trump Jr. has spoken publicly after attending a courtroom hearing in the case against Tyler Robinson, the man accused of murdering Charlie Kirk.
The 48-year-old was in court this week as prosecutors laid out previously unsealed evidence during the preliminary hearing for the 23-year-old Utah man accused of fatally shooting Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025.
Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder and could face the death penalty if convicted.
He has not yet entered a plea.
The preliminary hearing will determine whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial.
Speaking on Jesse Watters Primetime after the hearing, Trump Jr., who was a longtime friend of Kirk and frequently appeared alongside him at Turning Point USA events, said the evidence shown in court changed public perception of the case.
"Based on everything that I saw in that courtroom, it's very clear to me that Tyler Robinson did this," he said.
Trump Jr. pointed to several pieces of evidence introduced by prosecutors, including DNA evidence and text messages allegedly sent by Robinson after the shooting.
According to prosecutors, Robinson allegedly admitted responsibility in messages to his roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, writing that he had "had enough of his hatred".
The businessman said the combination of forensic evidence and Robinson's surrender to police left little room for doubt.
"This stuff is very cut-and-dry at this point," he said. "The DNA evidence, the fact that he turned himself in, to me, it puts so much of this at rest."
During the hearing, prosecutors also showed images of the alleged bolt-action rifle, along with engraved bullets and cartridges investigators say are connected to the case.
Prosecutors have said inscriptions on ammunition recovered at the scene included "If you read this, you are gay" and "Hey fascist! Catch!"
Investigators also recovered a cartridge engraved with "Test Shot" from the home Robinson shared with Twiggs.
One of the key moments of the hearing came when prosecutors played an interview with Twiggs, who described Robinson's actions after the shooting.
Twiggs claimed that Robinson returned to their apartment the following day and confirmed what he had already admitted through text messages.
"I just asked him in person if what he said was true the night before and he said it was. He started crying a little bit and said he wishes he hadn't done it and then kept going around and just doing stuff, I think to keep himself busy or distracted or something," Twiggs testified.
Court records also show Robinson allegedly texted Twiggs shortly after the shooting, instructing him to "drop what you're doing" and "look under your keyboard".
In a note addressed to Twiggs as "Luna," Robinson allegedly wrote: "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it.
"I wish we could have lived in a world where this was not necessary."
The note ended: "Please try and find joy in this life. I love you always, Tyler."
When Twiggs replied: "You weren't the one who did it, right?"
"I am," Robinson allegedly responded. "I'm sorry."
When asked why he had done it, Robinson allegedly wrote that he'd "had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out."
Prosecutors said Robinson continued sending messages while still near Utah Valley University.
He allegedly told Twiggs he had hidden the rifle in nearby bushes after changing clothes and wrote: "If I'm able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence."
Prosecutors also allege the suspect later complained that crickets were making too much noise, and believed a sniffer dog may have located the weapon.
He reportedly texted: "I'm just sitting in my car watching reels for another hour," before saying he was leaving Orem and returning to the apartment he shared with Twiggs in St. George.
Trump Jr. has also questioned the security arrangements at the campus event where Kirk was killed.
He noted that only six police officers were reportedly assigned to the event, despite having attended many Turning Point USA appearances alongside the late right-wing influencer over the years.
"These are big events," he said. "I've done a hundred of them with Charlie Kirk on college campuses all over the place. That there wasn't an all-hands-on-deck kind of operation to prevent this very thing from happening is truly scary."
Trump Jr. said public opinion had shifted since prosecutors unveiled the new evidence, claiming it had gone from being "50-50" to "90-10" in terms of people believing Robinson was responsible.
He also dismissed conspiracy theories surrounding Kirk's death, but has acknowledged why some people had initially been skeptical because of the speed with which the case unfolded publicly.
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