The judge in the Tyler Robinson murder trial visibly flinched while watching footage of the fatal shooting of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
During Monday’s preliminary hearing in Provo, Utah, Judge Tony Graf Jr. was shown footage from different angles of the moment Kirk was assassinated last September. A livestream of the hearing, which does not show the footage of the murder, shows Graf reacting to the graphic footage. The footage was only shown on monitors in front of the judge and at the attorneys’ tables.
“This is the heartbreaking moment Judge Graf appears to flinch at approximately the 25-second mark while reviewing a previously unseen angle of Charlie Kirk’s murder during today’s preliminary hearing,” journalist Sarah Fields, who was in the courtroom, reported. “The courtroom was silent as the footage played.”
This is the heartbreaking moment Judge Graf appears to flinch at approximately the 25-second mark while reviewing a previously unseen angle of Charlie Kirk’s murder during today’s preliminary hearing.
The courtroom was silent as the footage played. pic.twitter.com/fyWC6Odr3R
— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) July 6, 2026
Notably, Kirk’s parents, Rob and Kathryn, and his widow, Erika, left the courtroom before the judge watched the footage. The hearing marked the first time the family was face-to-face with Robinson. Donald Trump Jr., who was very close with Kirk for years, was also in attendance.
NOW — Charlie Kirk’s parents and Erika Kirk leave the courtroom together as Tyler Robinson’s defense objects to the camera showing a piece of evidence on screen.
Erika was seen wiping away tears with a handkerchief while leaning on Charlie’s mother’s shoulder.
Pray for… pic.twitter.com/Dxr6FcUuLk
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) July 6, 2026
Brian Entin, senior national correspondent for NewsNation, reported that Robinson “was laughing with his attorney before the hearing started.”
Scene from inside the Tyler Robinson courtroom:
Erika Kirk was crying before the hearing started.
Donald Trump Jr. is in the front row with his wife.
Tyler Robinson was laughing with his attorney before the hearing started.
Erika left during the description of the shooting.
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) July 6, 2026
Jack Posobiec, a close friend to Kirk, attended the trial too, and also said Robinson “showed no remorse” and was “laughing” during the hearing.
“The timeline prosecutors are building is strong,” Posobiec further reported. “Surveillance placing Robinson on campus before, during, and after the shot. Roof access, sniper position in the gravel, that screwdriver left behind, every piece fits. Defense is already grasping at procedural straws.”
The hearing will determine whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence to establish probable cause for Robinson to stand trial for Kirk’s assassination. Prosecutors are continuing to seek the death penalty, which remains on the table if Robinson is convicted.
Related: Erika Kirk And Charlie Kirk’s Parents Say Assassination Hearing Is ‘Painful Reminder Of His Death’
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