Megyn Sets Tyler Robinson’s Lawyer Straight Over His Lies About Charlie Kirk Being ‘Hateful’

Nearly one year after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Tyler Robinson is heading to trial. A Utah judge ruled late Tuesday that there is enough evidence to move forward with the case against him. Kirk’s widow, Erika, sat in the courtroom beside his mother and father.

The Ruling

As reported on Wednesday’s AM Update, Tuesday’s proceeding was not a trial and was not about deciding Robinson’s guilt or innocence. Instead, Judge Tony Graf heard the evidence and arguments before deciding whether prosecutors have cleared the probable-cause threshold required to send the charges forward.

Robinson is charged with aggravated murder, felony firearm use, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and committing a violent act in the presence of a child.

The Prosecution

In closing arguments, Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride laid out four categories of evidence he said establish that Robinson is the shooter: video, DNA, alleged admissions, and circumstantial evidence.

McBride pointed to surveillance video he says places Robinson on Utah Valley University’s campus four times on the day Kirk was killed, including immediately before and after the shooting. He argued the rifle recovered near campus, the towel wrapped around it, ammunition with etched messages, and items recovered from Robinson’s apartment all tie Robinson to the shooting.

The prosecutor also cited forensic testimony that DNA from the rifle, towel, and screwdriver recovered from the roof included Robinson as a possible match. Additionally, McBride highlighted what he described as Robinson’s admissions, including his confession note to his trans lover Lance Twiggs and what he called the classic circumstantial evidence of motive, means, and opportunity.

The prosecution then turned to the aggravating circumstance attached to the murder charge: Whether Robinson put people other than Kirk at risk. That allegation is crucial because aggravated murder is the charge that makes Robinson eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

According to McBride, Robinson created that risk by firing a high-powered rifle toward Kirk from roughly 400 feet away with thousands of people gathered around him. To make the case, he drew a comparison to the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024.

“Remember Butler, Pennsylvania, when President Trump was shot. His life was saved because he turned his head, and the bullet went through his ear,” McBride argued. “And what happened in that miss and other misses? Well, three of those errant shots hit people, one of which fatally. Not only is there common sense, but there’s recent precedent. You shoot at someone in a public assassination attempt, you have a great risk of killing someone else.”

The Defense

In the defense’s closing argument, Robinson’s team challenged the state’s evidence, the aggravating circumstance tied to the murder charge, and the alleged motive behind the killing.

Defense attorney Staci Visser argued prosecutors failed to show Robinson put anyone other than Kirk in danger, pointing to one bullet, one victim and what she called no evidence anyone else in the crowd was threatened.

Later in the closing, defense attorney Richard Novak asked Judge Graf to dismiss the witness-tampering charges – which are based at least in part on Robinson’s text to twigs that read, Don’t talk to the media, please. Don’t talk to the media please. Don’t take any interviews or make any comments. If any police ask you questions ask for a lawyer and stay silent” – arguing Robinson’s messages to Twiggs came as he was preparing to surrender and were meant to protect his partner, not obstruct the investigation.

On a separate enhancement for three of the counts, prosecutors alleged Robinson targeted Kirk because of his political expression. Novak argued Robinson’s message to Twiggs that “some hate can’t be negotiated out” does not establish what Robinson knew about Kirk or what allegedly motivated him. He went on to inaccurately describe Kirk himself as hateful.

“There is no evidence of Mr. Robinson having heard or seen anything specific from Mr. Kirk, or having expressed anything about Mr. Kirk until the statement,” Novac claimed. “It is true that Mr. Kirk spoke hatefully of certain groups of people. He spoke hatefully of people who don’t have traditional norm conforming gender identities, he spoke hatefully of people who are not strictly heterosexual… It is true that the evidence from Mr. Twiggs is that he identified in a non-gender conforming way to his friends, and that he was in a romantic relationship with Mr. Robinson.”

“But that doesn’t mean that those personal choices by Mr. Twiggs and by Mr. Robinson equate with the hate that at least Mr. Robinson says he had toward Mr. Kirk,” he added.

On AM Update, Megyn noted Kirk spoke “truthfully, not hatefully” about other people and pointed to countless videos showing him speaking very kindly and lovingly to trans and gay people.

In one clip that went viral after Kirk was assassinated, he offered advice to a biological woman who was ‘transitioning’ to male. “I’m going to have an opinion that very few people will ever tell you, which is I want you to be very cautious putting drugs into your system in the pursuit of changing your body,” he advised.

“I instead encourage you to work on what’s going on in your brain first. I think what you need first and foremost is just a diagnosis, just someone that is going to listen to what you’ve gone through, listen to what else is going on,” Kirk continued. “My prayer for you and, again, very few people will say this: I actually want to see you be comfortable in how you were born.”

Megyn message to Novak: “Do your homework,” she said.

Robinson’s Plea

Following closing arguments, Judge Graf took nearly 90 minutes to consider them. When he returned, the judge found enough evidence for all seven charges to proceed to trial, including aggravated murder, meaning the death penalty remains on the table.

Judge Graf then asked for Robinson’s plea, and his lawyers entered a not guilty plea on all counts. The next pretrial conference was set for October 23 at which they intend to set a trial date.

Erika Kirk responded to the proceedings in a statement on X, calling the ruling an important step in her family’s pursuit of justice. “Every step in this process carries the weight of all that Charlie’s murder has taken from his family, especially his children who will grow up without their father,” she wrote, in part.

“We are grateful to all who have continued to pray for us, support us, and stand with us through a year of unimaginable grief,” the statement continued. “As the next phase of the judicial process begins, our family remains united in our love for Charlie, our commitment to the pursuit of justice, and our prayer for a transparent and timely process.”

Megyn’s Take

On Wednesday’s Megyn Kelly Show, Megyn responded directly to Robinson’s lawyer daring to call Kirk “hateful” in his closing argument and set the record straight on Kirk’s message. Watch:

You can check out Megyn’s full analysis by tuning in to episode 1,390 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.