The speaker chosen to deliver the commencement address at the university where Charlie Kirk was assassinated posted about the “harm” of his words shortly after he was killed. 
Backlash is building after Utah Valley University <a href="https://www.uvu.edu/news/2025/sharon-mcmahon-2026-commencement-speaker.html">announced</a> last month that the supposedly “non-partisan” author Sharon McMahon would be speaking at graduation this year, drawing criticism from conservative students over her social media posts after Kirk’s death. Kirk was gunned down on September 10, 2025, while holding one of his popular campus events at the university in Orem, Utah. 
McMahon, who dubs herself “America’s Government Teacher,” is an educator who frequently focuses her criticism on the Trump administration and conservatives. Shortly after Kirk&#8217;s assassination, McMahon posted a series of out-of-context quotes from Kirk to explain why “there is so much backlash to posts eulogizing his death,” claiming that Kirk “was not a person who simply engaged in good-faith debates on college campuses” if you were black or Muslim. 
Local outlets have <a href="https://kutv.com/news/local/backlash-at-uvu-follows-selection-of-speaker-tied-to-posts-about-charlie-kirk">reported</a> on the posts, which have since been deleted from social media. 
“It’s important to remember that the incredible tragedy of a public assassination does not erase the harm many experienced from his words and the ensuing actions his followers took,” McMahon wrote, according to a local CBS affiliate. 
After the university announced that McMahon would be speaking, the Turning Point USA chapter at Utah Valley University <a href="https://x.com/TPUSAatUVU/status/2042340596761997695">released</a> a statement calling the move disappointing. 
“Hours immediately after Charlie’s assassination, Sharon McMahon posted a now deleted series of out-of-context quotes from Charlie in an effort to tarnish his name and minimize the tragedy, rather than offering condolences or condemning political violence,” chapter president Caleb Chilcutt said.
“There are countless better alternatives, and the fact that the university is choosing McMahon is entirely disappointing to all of us still reeling from his loss. I couldn’t be more disappointed in this university for such a hurtful and callous decision,” he added. 
Utah Senator Mike Lee weighed in on the issue, <a href="https://x.com/BasedMikeLee/status/2042774342396973415">writing</a> on X, “Who else thinks UVU should find another commencement speaker?”
The university did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire, but previously <a href="https://www.deseret.com/politics/2026/04/08/uvu-commencement-speaker-sharon-mcmahon-controversy-charlie-kirk-comments/">told</a> Deseret News that McMahon’s selection was “overwhelmingly positive” and “well received.”

Political Activist Charlie Kirk Shot Dead At Utah Valley University

University Where Charlie Kirk Was Assassinated Taps Speaker Tied To Sick Posts

Charlie Kirk

Mike Lee

Turning Point USA

Utah

Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, allegedly wrote in a message to his trans-identifying boyfriend that he had an “opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it,&#8221; according to new court documents.
Robinson sent his boyfriend, whom he referred to as &#8220;Luna,&#8221; a message on the day of the shooting at Utah Valley University that said, &#8220;drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard,&#8221; according to a search warrant affidavit <a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/51481672/tyler-killed-charlie-search-warrants-detail-messages-allegedly-sent-after-kirk-killing">obtained by KSL</a>.
“Luna, if you are reading this per my text, then I am so sorry. I left the house this morning on a mission, and sent an auto text. I am likely dead or facing a lengthy prison sentence. I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it,” the letter states, according to KSL.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know if I will/have succeeded, but I had hoped to make it home to you. I wish we could have lived in a world where this did not feel necessary. I wish I could have stayed for you and lived our lives together. I lack the words to express how much I love you, and how very much you mean to me. Please try and find joy in this life. I love you, always, -Tyler,&#8221; <a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/51481672/tyler-killed-charlie-search-warrants-detail-messages-allegedly-sent-after-kirk-killing">the letter reviewed by KSL said</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-the-disturbing-texts-between-tyler-robinson-and-his-trans-love-after-charlie-kirk-assassination">The Daily Wire previously reported</a> that Robinson’s mother told investigators that her son became more political and left-leaning over the past year, adopting pro-gay and pro-transgender views.
The new details shed light on some of Robinson&#8217;s last communications before being taken into custody, including a group chat on Discord where an unidentified person said, “Tyler killed Charlie!!!!&#8221; per KSL.
&#8220;Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. I&#8217;m sorry for all this. I&#8217;m surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments. Thanks for all the good times and laughs, you&#8217;ve all been so amazing. Thank you all for everything,&#8221; Robinson allegedly said to the Discord group chat.
The unsealed documents also reveal that the state collected new DNA evidence, including &#8220;fingerprints and a smeared palm print in the vicinity of the northeast corner rooftop edge of the Losee Center building where Robinson dropped from the rooftop to the ground below,&#8221; <a href="https://www.eastidahonews.com/2026/04/tyler-killed-charlie-search-warrants-detail-messages-allegedly-sent-after-kirk-killing/">according to East Idaho News</a>.
Robinson is scheduled to be back in court on April 17, and if ultimately convicted, could face the death penalty.

MixCollage-15-Sep-2025-04-51-PM-6957

Inside The Twisted Confession Tyler Robinson Is Accused Of Sending His Boyfriend

assassination

Courts

Crime

Murder

Tyler Robinson

U.S.

Attorneys for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, have revealed several witnesses expected to testify for the prosecution ahead of his upcoming trial.
According to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/alleged-charlie-kirk-assassins-defense-team-reveals-who-will-called-testify-court-docs">Fox News</a>, Robinson&#8217;s parents and his romantic transgender-identifying partner, Lance Twiggs, who was seen in a widely circulated <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/09/25/us-news/alleged-charlie-kirk-shooter-tyler-robinsons-trans-lover-lance-twiggs-was-gifted-straight-a-student/">image</a> wearing an outfit common in the furry subculture, are among those listed as potential witnesses.
The case stems from the September 10, 2025, shooting of Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem.
According to the court documents filed Friday, Robinson&#8217;s defense team said federal investigators have not definitively linked the bullet recovered during Kirk&#8217;s autopsy to the rifle allegedly used in the fatal shooting. The defense said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) was unable to make a match, and additional analysis by the FBI is ongoing.
Forensic experts noted that bullet fragmentation — which the ATF report, cited by the defense, suggests occurred in this case — frequently makes it difficult or impossible to definitively match a bullet to a specific weapon. The defense is seeking to delay the preliminary hearing by at least six months, arguing it has not had sufficient time to review the evidence.
&#8220;Until the defense receives the case files and protocols relating to these analyses, and has them independently evaluated by its expert, they will not be in a position to assess the reliability of this evidence if either the State or the defense decides to proffer it,&#8221; the document stated.
Defense lawyers also said they have received more than 600,000 files from prosecutors, including a hard drive containing 31 hours of audio and roughly 700 hours of video.
&#8220;Discovery in this case is incomplete, voluminous, and the processing of it is complex,&#8221; the document stated.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Robinson, 22, who has not yet entered a plea.
The next hearing is scheduled for April 17 for a defense motion to ban cameras from the courtroom. Kirk&#8217;s widow, Erika, has opposed that request.
&#8220;There have been cameras all over my friends and family mourning,&#8221; Erika said during an interview with Fox News. &#8220;There have been cameras all over me, analyzing my every move. Analyzing my every smile. My every tear.&#8221;
According to Fox News, the defense plans to argue at the hearing that media coverage has compromised the case.

Credit: Trent Nelson-Pool/Getty Images

Tyler Robinson’s Family, ‘Furry Trans’ Lover To Testify For Prosecution In Charlie Kirk Murder Trial

News

Charlie Kirk&#8217;s closest advisor Andrew Kolvet says images of a private group-chat he gave to Joe Kent, the intelligence official who just resigned from the Trump administration, later ended up on the Candace Owens show.
Kolvet, who remains the host of the Charlie Kirk Show, said on Monday that he handed over messages to Kent because he had believed Kent to be trustworthy and seeking the same thing he was: the truth about Kirk&#8217;s assassination. Kolvet said Kent urged him to make the messages public. He declined, but then they ended up in the public sphere anyway.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here are the facts: Yes, I shared the screen grab with Joe Kent because I was told I could trust him and I wanted EVERY possible lead pursued. We&#8217;ve done this quietly behind the scenes with countless items.
Yes he did suggest I make it public. I declined. A few weeks later the… <a href="https://t.co/Jx09MBIoPr">https://t.co/Jx09MBIoPr</a> <a href="https://t.co/7FzZEEtsRe">pic.twitter.com/7FzZEEtsRe</a>
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewKolvet/status/2036149087179850208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I do want to confirm what I can confirm, and that is that, yes, in the immediate aftermath, I did provide the group chat to Joe Kent,” said Kolvet. “We don’t throw around accusations recklessly here, we don’t. There’s a lot people who do that online, we don’t do that. We think that’s keeping in the spirit of Charlie’s spirit, and the way we choose to do things is we try and be responsible. So, yes, in a spirit of looking at every lead, turning over every stone, we wanted everybody that needed to know, to know anything that we knew. Not just—I mean, and by the way, we’ve been accused of not being interested in the truth—”
Blake Neff, a co-host on the Charlie Kirk Show, interjected, &#8220;And just to remind people what this is referring to, this is after Charlie’s murder, there were text messages that, from a private group chat, that were made public and were used to, frankly, kick off the big conspiracy theory that we’ve run into over and over again, which is that Israel or the Jews had Charlie murdered. Which we do not believe.&#8221;
Kolvet complained that he thought he &#8220;could trust Joe Kent,&#8221; but was proven wrong.
&#8220;The actual fact of the matter is that behind the scenes, we have given everything we know to give, every single piece of information. This was one of them. I was told I could trust Joe Kent; I provided the screen grabs to Joe Kent, and I don’t know what happened to them at that point, okay? I just want to make that very clear,&#8221; Kolvet continued, adding that after some time had passed, Kent had suggested that he share the screen grabs publicly. Kolvet opted not to do so.
&#8220;I didn’t want to be reckless with them in the public; there could be innocent people on that group chat that would then be harmed. So I declined,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;But then, fast forward another week or two, and they were made public. So that’s what I know, is that Joe suggested that they be made public, I declined, then they were made public. Can I 100% categorically say that he leaked them? No. But those are the facts. Maybe somebody on his team, maybe they got passed around, maybe somebody else leaked them. But that’s—those are the facts of the matter. And that’s what I know.&#8221;
Kent is reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-counterterror-chief-joe-kent-under-fbi-probe-for-leaking-classified-info">under investigation</a> for leaking sensitive information while working as a top intelligence official in the Trump administration. President Donald Trump on Monday raised the possibility that he was a leaker in comments to The Daily Wire.
&#8220;I hear they’re looking at him for leaking,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;That’s possible.&#8221;
Kolvet was pulled into the unfolding story when Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, on a recent podcast, said that Kent had leaked the screen grabs to Candace Owens — who used them to foment conspiracy theories tying Israel to Kirk&#8217;s murder in September 2025.
In the screen grabs, texts attributed to Kirk read, &#8220;Just lost another huge Jewish donor. $2 million a year because we won’t cancel Tucker. I’m thinking of inviting Candace,&#8221; and &#8220;Jewish donors play into all the stereotypes. I cannot and will not be bullied like this. Leaving me no choice but to leave the pro Israel cause.&#8221;
Tyler Robinson, the suspect facing trial for Kirk&#8217;s assassination, said in text messages obtained by police that he shot Kirk over his views on transgenderism.

Joe Kent

Was Joe Kent Behind The Leak Of Charlie Kirk’s Private Texts Too?

Global Politics

Israel

Politics

Hillsdale College announced Friday that Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of its founder, Charlie Kirk, will serve as the keynote speaker during graduation ceremonies this May.
“Charlie Kirk became a national and international sensation, and he built something amazing. At his memorial service were the great, the near-great, and tens of millions watching. But that isn’t why we loved him. We loved him because he was, at heart, a student who worked hard to get it right,” Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn <a href="https://www.hillsdale.edu/news-and-media/press-releases/hillsdale-college-announces-erika-kirk-as-2026-commencement-speaker/">said in a statement</a>. “Erika Kirk, brave and widowed, intends to carry on. And we will help her.”
Dr. Arnn <a href="https://www.hillsdale.edu/news-and-media/press-releases/hillsdale-college-to-award-honorary-degrees-to-charlie-and-erika-kirk/">announced</a> during Kirk’s memorial service in September that Hillsdale College will confer honorary doctorates on both Charlie and Erika Kirk at the May 2026 graduation ceremony. Previous honorary degree recipients include Justice Clarence Thomas, Edwin J. Feulner, Bishop Robert Barron, Pat and Lesly Sajak, and Victor Davis Hanson.
&#8220;I&#8217;m privileged to know lots and lots of high-minded, intelligent and serious young people,&#8221; Arnn said. &#8220;Charlie is one of the best I ever saw. It&#8217;s an honor to have known him.&#8221;
Kirk became the CEO of TPUSA following the assassination of her husband last September. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations from Arizona State University and a Juris Master in American legal studies from Liberty University.
“It is a great honor to be invited to speak at the Hillsdale College Graduation Ceremony on May 9,” Kirk said. “Charlie loved Hillsdale deeply and was often a grateful student of its online courses, learning from Dr. Larry Arnn and the remarkable faculty, who are so committed to truth and the pursuit of wisdom.”
“Hillsdale represents something rare in our time — a steadfast devotion to faith, learning, and the principles that sustain a free nation,” she added. “I am sincerely grateful for the invitation and look forward to being there with all of you. God bless you.”
Hillsdale, an independent liberal arts college in southern Michigan, is revered for being one of the only institutions of higher learning with a strong conservative Christian identity. Founded in 1844, the college has a reputation for offering a classical liberal arts core curriculum and never accepting federal or state taxpayer subsidies, including student grants or loans.

Erika Kirk

Hillsdale College Announces Erika Kirk Will Serve As Commencement Speaker

Education

Hillsdale College

CO conspiracy

Debunking The Erika Kirk Conspiracy Theories

Candace Owens

Conspiracy Theory

Matt Walsh

TPUSA

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) voiced his frustration on Wednesday after most of his party effectively sat on their hands during President Donald Trump&#8217;s State of the Union address, refusing to stand or even applaud issues he believes stretch across party lines.
Fetterman defended his own decision to applaud a number of key moments during Trump&#8217;s speech, saying he was always going to clap for the things he believed were worth applauding, regardless of the party of the person delivering the remarks.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BREAKING: Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) says he was one of the Democrats to stand up for Iryna Zarutska and Erika Kirk at Trump&#8217;s State of the Union
&#8220;Even Erika Kirk. Can&#8217;t we just be more kind to a WIDOW? How can&#8217;t we acknowledge that?&#8221; 💯
&#8220;I clapped for the family that lost… <a href="https://t.co/VMCMIBY8VC">pic.twitter.com/VMCMIBY8VC</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2026670101206814804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fetterman noted that most of the Democrats in the chamber on Tuesday evening — those who did not attend an alternate event or boycott the evening&#8217;s festivities altogether — had chosen not to stand or applaud during Trump&#8217;s remarks, even when he discussed issues both parties wanted addressed.
&#8220;I clapped for a lot of those things &#8230; like I stood up and I clapped to recognize the family that lost their daughter, the Ukrainian girl that was stabbed to death in North Carolina,&#8221; Fetterman explained. &#8220;And I stood up, and I clapped for that political prisoner from Venezuela, you know, how you can&#8217;t celebrate those kinds of things. I also celebrated all the veterans that were in the audience as well.&#8221;
Fetterman went on to say that even when things got political, he still stood and applauded when he felt it was appropriate to do so.
&#8220;Like Erika Kirk, I stood up, and then I clapped for her &#8230; can&#8217;t we just be more kind to a widow?&#8221; Fetterman asked, noting that Kirk had just lost her husband — murdered Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk — very recently, and still had young children to care for. &#8220;How we can&#8217;t just acknowledge that?&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m always going to stand up and clap for things I agree with, like striking the Iranian sites,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And if I don&#8217;t agree with it or whatever, I&#8217;m certainly not going to yell and scream and disrupt the whole thing.&#8221;

President Trump Delivers The State Of The Union Address

Once Again, Fetterman Breaks With Theatrics To Stand For American Values

WATCH: John Fetterman Baffled As His Party Refuses To Stand Up For American Values

Democrats

Donald Trump

John Fetterman

Media

State of the Union

WASHINGTON—Erika Kirk will attend the State of the Union on Tuesday evening as a special guest of President Donald Trump, The Daily Wire can first report.
Kirk will be present in the audience as the president delivers an address that will mention both Erika Kirk and her late husband, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Kirk&#8217;s assassination rocked the world, prompting what many recognized as a spiritual awakening throughout the United States. During his remarks, Trump will highlight the “tremendous revival of faith, Christianity, and belief in God in our country&#8221; since Kirk&#8217;s death, a White House official shared.
The president will also affirm that America is &#8220;one nation under God,&#8221; and, referencing the wave of political violence that has shocked Americans over the last few years, Trump will call on all members of Congress to &#8220;firmly reject political violence against our fellow citizens.&#8221;
Charlie Kirk left behind his wife and two young children, a daughter and a son. Erika Kirk has since taken over Turning Point USA, as her husband wished, urging Americans across the nation to live as her husband encouraged and to draw closer to Jesus Christ.
During a massive memorial service for Charlie Kirk in September, top members of the Trump administration went to Arizona to eulogize their departed friend and to stand with his family. Both the president and Vice President JD Vance spoke at the service, where Trump called Erika Kirk&#8217;s response to the tragedy both &#8220;beautiful&#8221; and &#8220;strong.&#8221;
Erika Kirk, as she spoke about her husband to the estimated 100,000 attendees, emotionally forgave her husband&#8217;s killer.
“That young man, that young man,” she said. “On the cross, our savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and is what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know, from the Gospel, is love and always love.”
A month later, Trump had Erika Kirk at the White House again to posthumously award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Since her husband&#8217;s death she has continued to represent TPUSA, her husband, and their political and religious values on the world stage, despite aggressive smear campaigns from online commentators. She has been repeatedly distinguished by the Trump administration, including by the president, Vice President JD Vance, and Second Lady Usha Vance.
&#8220;President Trump has been a source of strength for Erika, constantly checking in with her over the last five months, and Erika is incredibly honored to be invited by the president to attend tonight&#8217;s State of the Union,&#8221; Turning Point USA spokesman Matt Shupe told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Erika has been thrust into an enormously important role by fate and tragedy and because Charlie chose her should the horrible moment ever come, and she has risen to the occasion with grace, dignity, and a lot of hard work.&#8221;
As evidence of Erika Kirk&#8217;s hard work, Shupe pointed to the explosive growth that TPUSA has experienced in the aftermath of the assassination, to TPUSA&#8217;s &#8220;All-American Halftime show&#8221; that garnered over 50 million viewers, and the &#8220;most ambitious spring and summer tour season in TPUSA&#8217;s history&#8221; ahead of them.
&#8220;Her leadership has been incredible to witness,&#8221; he said. &#8220;No one should ever be asked to do what she has done under the circumstances, but she is an inspiration to the whole TPUSA family, the nation, and to young people everywhere.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1048619" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/erika-kirk-to-attend-state-of-the-union-as-president-trumps-guest/president-trump-hosts-medal-of-freedom-ceremony-at-the-white-house-for-charlie-kirk-2" rel="attachment wp-att-1048619"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1048619" class="wp-image-1048619 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2241065744-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2241065744-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2241065744-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2241065744-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2241065744.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>President Donald Trump posthumously awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk as he presents the Medal to his wife Erika Kirk. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)</div>
A gunman identified by authorities as Tyler Robinson has been charged with shooting Kirk in the neck and killing him on September 10, 2025, just as Kirk was answering questions on transgender shooters. Robinson lived with his “transgender partner,” a man named Lance Twiggs, who is attempting to transition to a transgender female.
Trump&#8217;s State of the Union address will focus on ending the political violence that has plagued the country in recent years.
That attack came only weeks after trans-identifying shooter Robin Westman killed Catholic schoolchildren in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during a church shooting. And that attack came just two years after another in which a trans-identifying killer targeted Christian school children in Nashville.
Earlier this month, another <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/youtube-confirms-trans-themed-page-is-linked-to-canada-mass-shooting-suspect?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Canada+School+Attacker+Was+Trans+Identifying+Man%2C+Police+Confirm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transgender-identifying attacker</a> in Canada opened fire on a rural school in British Columbia, killing nine and injuring dozens, and only last week, yet another <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/transgender-identifying-man-opens-fire-at-rhode-island-hockey-game-killing-two">man who identifies as a woman</a> opened fire at a high school hockey game in Rhode Island.
These instances of transgender violence do not include the politically motivated attacks on the president himself.
Ahead of the 2024 election season, a gunman attempted to kill President Trump as he spoke in Butler, Pennsylvania, narrowly missing the president&#8217;s head and grazing his ear with a bullet. Soon afterward, authorities arrested another gunman in Florida attempting to kill the president at his golf course. And on Sunday, the Secret Service <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/armed-intruder-with-shotgun-sparks-deadly-secret-service-response-at-mar-a-lago">shot and killed</a> a man who entered Mar-a-Lago carrying a gun after breaking through the security perimeter.
&#8220;In the middle of the night while most Americans were asleep, the United States Secret Service acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded President Trump’s home,&#8221; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Sunday.
&#8220;Federal law enforcement are working 24/7 to keep our country safe and protect all Americans,&#8221; she added, hitting at Democrats for shutting down the Department of Homeland Security. &#8220;It’s shameful and reckless that Democrats have chosen to shut down their Department.&#8221;
On Monday, the president addressed the Mar-A-Lago shooting, saying at an event at the White House: “I don’t know how long I’ll be around. Got a lot of people gunning for me.”
“You know, if you read about all these crazy shooters, they don’t go after non-consequential presidents,” he added jokingly, referring to former presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. “So maybe I want to be a little less consequential? Can we hold it back a little bit, please? Can this be a normal presidency for a little while?”

Memorial Service Held For Slain Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk At State Farm Stadium

EXCLUSIVE: Erika Kirk To Be Trump’s Special Guest At State Of The Union

White House

A Utah judge dismissed an attempt by Tyler Robinson&#8217;s defense team to have the prosecution disqualified on Tuesday, dealing yet another blow to the attorneys defending the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk. 
Robinson’s attorneys argued that the prosecutors should be recused after discovering that a daughter of one of the prosecutors was present at Kirk’s event when the Turning Point USA founder was assassinated on September 10, 2025. State District Judge Tony Graf said the prosecutors can remain on the case as the daughter&#8217;s presence at the event “did not materially influence” the prosecutor&#8217;s actions in the case.
Robinson appeared virtually for Tuesday&#8217;s hearing. He has been charged with aggravated murder, which makes him eligible for the death penalty under state law. 
Judge Graf’s decision on Tuesday keeps Robinson’s trial on track as prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty. Robinson has not yet entered a plea. Robinson’s defense team argued that there was a conflict of interest for the prosecution, since the daughter of deputy county attorney Chad Grunander was in attendance at Kirk’s event at Utah Valley University last September. 
The prosecution <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charlie-kirks-suspected-assassin-fights-death-penalty-says-trump-influenced-prosecutor">pushed back</a> on the defense team’s claim, saying there is no conflict of interest with Grunander’s daughter and that she did not have a direct line of sight to the shooter. Grunander’s daughter also testified in court and said she did not realize Kirk had been shot until after she ran to safety, the Associated Press reported. 
Utah County Attorney Jeffrey S. Gray said in a filing, “Under these circumstances, there is virtually no risk, let alone a significant risk, that it would arouse such emotions in any father-prosecutor as to render him unable to fairly prosecute the case.” 
Graf agreed and said on Tuesday that the daughter had “no unique, relevant information” about the assassination of Kirk that would potentially put her on the witness stand.
Robinson’s attorneys also claimed earlier this month that the prosecution’s quick decision to seek the death penalty was influenced by President Donald Trump, who said shortly after Kirk’s assassination that he hoped the killer would get the death penalty. Gray said that he wanted to decide on pursuing the death penalty quickly to avoid media speculation. 
“The longer you delay that decision … the more delay, then it just creates all this unnecessary speculation and everything else,” Gray said, adding that he did it to prevent “unnecessary angst with the families of victims … so Erika Kirk didn’t have to deal with that uncertainty.”
Judge Graf’s decision comes hours before President Donald Trump gives his State of the Union address to Congress, with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/erika-kirk-to-attend-state-of-the-union-as-president-trumps-guest?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=Exclusive&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Erika+Kirk+To+Be+Trump%E2%80%99s+Special+Guest+At+State+Of+The+Union">Erika Kirk in attendance</a> as one of his special guests. Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan reported earlier on Tuesday that Trump will mention both Erika Kirk and her late husband during his speech.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/friendly-fire?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_content=20260224_sotu_aa_desktop&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=banner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch the State of the Union with The Daily Wire! Live coverage from the nation’s capital begins at 7:45 ET.</a>
The decision marks yet another loss for Robinson&#8217;s defense team. Late last year, Graf said that cameras would be allowed in the courtroom for the trial, dismissing the defense team&#8217;s claim that the media&#8217;s courtroom access could result in an unfair trial for Robinson.

Judge Rejects Bid To Oust Prosecutors From Charlie Kirk Assassination Case

Judge Dismisses Defense Effort To Remove Prosecutors From Charlie Kirk Assassination Case

Court

A new CNN documentary traces the &#8220;activation&#8221; of Christian nationalists in the United States back to the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, suggesting that Kirk&#8217;s message — and his subsequent murder — had &#8220;radicalized&#8221; American Christians into believing that they are being &#8220;persecuted.&#8221;
CNN anchor Pamela Brown announced the project exposing &#8220;Christian Nationalism,&#8221; which she said she&#8217;d been working on for several months, and framed the documentary as an investigation into a perceived threat against the United States.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
CNN&#8217;s Pamela Brown announces she&#8217;s been working on a &#8220;special project&#8221; warn against &#8220;Christian nationalism&#8221; and portrays them as a radicalized threat to the country.
She then launches into a report where she fears the assassination of Charlie Kirk uniting Christians and scoffs… <a href="https://t.co/1J63ta6EIO">pic.twitter.com/1J63ta6EIO</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/2023785142230122696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;For the past several months, I&#8217;ve been working on a special project, examining the growing influence of Christian Nationalism in America,&#8221; Brown explained. She went on to describe Christian Nationalism as an ideology unto itself that was rooted in the &#8220;belief&#8221; that the United States was founded to be a &#8220;Christian nation&#8221; and as such, should reflect &#8220;Christian values&#8221; in its laws and institutions.
Brown then said that her documentary started with Kirk&#8217;s assassination: &#8220;Experts say it was a pivotal moment for the movement, and an occasion where the tragedy of his loss unified Christian nationalists and the Trump administration as they honored him.&#8221;
After a brief clip of President Donald Trump&#8217;s remarks at Kirk&#8217;s memorial service, Brown added, &#8220;Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and prominent Christian nationalist, was assassinated. It became a rallying call for those who believed in his message &#8230; and it was a call to action.&#8221;
Brown then cut to comments from Matthew Taylor, of the Georgetown University Center of Faith and Justice, who said, &#8220;[The] memorial service was one of the most potent examples of this shift in our culture that we&#8217;re experiencing right now, where a large segment of American Christians are being activated by these ideas, radicalized by these ideas that say that they are the persecuted ones and that they need to stand up for Christians rights.&#8221;
In a second clip, Taylor suggested that there was something insidious in President Trump&#8217;s promise to &#8220;protect Christians.&#8221;
&#8220;Trump has never explicitly said he believes the country should be a Christian nation,&#8221; Brown added. &#8220;But he is aligned with Christian nationalists and wants their support, and after an assassination attempt during his campaign, Trump said he believes God saved his life so he can lead the country.&#8221;
TPUSA&#8217;s Andrew Kolvet responded to the coming documentary on Tuesday, saying, &#8220;Consider this: so CNN does a piece — talking about the radicalization of people at Charlie&#8217;s memorial. Charlie was assassinated by a radical, by somebody that was animated, at least in part, by his love affair with somebody that was trans. And instead of burning down the country, like the real radicals did, we held vigils and memorials, and people bought Bibles, and they got baptized.&#8221;
&#8220;How is that a bad thing? What are we even talking about here?&#8221; he asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
CNN BACKLASH IS MOUNTING: They just announced a documentary covering the &#8220;rise of Christian Nationalism&#8221; in America, and it&#8217;s not going how they expected it to go.<a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewKolvet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AndrewKolvet</a> let the TRUTH about America&#8217;s spiritual revival and the role Charlie Kirk has in it:
&#8220;Consider this:… <a href="https://t.co/moi2PwF17c">https://t.co/moi2PwF17c</a> <a href="https://t.co/isO2nt4bHi">pic.twitter.com/isO2nt4bHi</a>
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) <a href="https://twitter.com/GuntherEagleman/status/2023828795958964451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Addresses Turning Point USA Summit

CNN Doc Suggests Charlie Kirk Assassination ‘Activated’ Christian Nationalists

Christian Persecution

Christians

Judeo-Christian Values

The sun beat down on 3,000 eager attendees as Hunter Kozak approached the microphone at the bottom of the amphitheater to talk to Charlie Kirk. He seemed a little nervous, but cheerful, and prepared with his question.
It was September 10, 2025. From under his white tent across the stadium, Kirk leaned forward and greeted Kozak, a Utah Valley University student and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterekozak">liberal TikTok commentator</a>. &#8220;Hey Charlie,&#8221; said Kozak, according to footage taken by his wife and shared with The Daily Wire, telling the Turning Point USA founder that he was hoping &#8220;to have a little more disagreement&#8221; than those who asked questions before him.
He then launched into his question: &#8220;A few weeks ago there was a transgender mass shooter, and ever since then, about three weeks later, the Trump DOJ said that we should start talking about revoking gun rights for transgender Americans.&#8221; 
The crowd of students erupted into cheers. Six days earlier The Daily Wire had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-doj-considering-gun-ban-for-transgenders">reported</a> that the administration was &#8220;actively considering&#8221; ways to keep firearms out of the hands of individuals suffering gender dysphoria. 
&#8220;I think you&#8217;re in support of this decision, yes?&#8221; Kozak questioned Kirk. &#8220;Is that fair to say? All right, great. So, do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?&#8221; 
&#8220;Too many,&#8221; responded the 31-year-old TPUSA founder. It was only two weeks after the Annunciation school shooting, in which a trans-identifying killer had killed two children and injured many others when he opened fire on a Catholic school mass.
Kozak&#8217;s initial response to Kirk was drowned out by the cheering and clapping of the crowd. Then the UVU student can be heard saying, &#8220;It&#8217;s five. Ok, now five is a lot, right? I&#8217;m going to give you some credit. Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last ten years?&#8221; 
&#8220;Counting or not counting gang violence?&#8221; asked Kirk.
&#8220;Great,&#8221; began Kozak, ready with a retort based on his own analysis of gun violence and trans-identifying shooters. But his response never left his mouth. 
At that very moment a shot rang out. Kirk&#8217;s assassin had fired at 12:23 p.m. mountain time, hitting the TPUSA founder in the neck. By 2:40 p.m. local time, President Donald Trump had announced that Kirk was dead.
Kirk&#8217;s last conversation on earth centered on a topic that he had discussed at length, particularly throughout the end of August and beginning of September: the disturbing rise in transgender violence. Kirk was unapologetic about his stance, that trans-identifying individuals were targeting Christians, and, given their gender confusion, they were too mentally unwell to own firearms.
&#8220;If you are crazy enough to want to hormonally and surgically &#8216;change your sex,&#8217; you have a mental disorder, and you are too crazy to own a firearm,&#8221; he posted on &#8220;X&#8221; on August 27, 2025, the day that the trans-identifying shooter, Robert Westman, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-we-know-about-the-trans-identifying-gunman-who-slaughtered-catholic-school-children">killed Catholic school children</a> before taking his own life.
&#8220;First Nashville, now this,&#8221; Kirk asked the same day, referring to the trans-shooter who targeted children at Covenant Christian School. &#8220;How many times makes a trend?&#8221;
Westman’s attack came just two years after another that trans-identifying killer targeted Christian school children in Nashville. Leaders of Catholic and independent schools in Minnesota had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minnesota-catholic-school-leader-warned-tim-walz-of-urgent-and-critical-need-to-secure-schools?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Minnesota+Catholic+School+Leader+Warned+Tim+Walz+Of+%E2%80%98Critical%E2%80%99+School+Safety+Threats.+He+Did+Nothing." target="_blank" rel="noopener">begged Governor Tim Walz</a> to help prevent similar shootings, fearing that the next shooter would target one of their schools. That security funding was never authorized, a fact which became painfully evident after the Minneapolis shooting in late August.
Now five months later, the world is reeling from another <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/youtube-confirms-trans-themed-page-is-linked-to-canada-mass-shooting-suspect?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Canada+School+Attacker+Was+Trans+Identifying+Man%2C+Police+Confirm">transgender-identifying attacker</a>, this time in Canada. The shooter, a man who believed he was a woman and wore a dress, opened fire on a rural school in British Columbia, killing ten and injuring dozens. It is yet another example of transgender violence, but the pressing issue that Kirk was opining on regularly now seems to have fallen out of consideration.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-last-questions-charlie-kirk-answered-were-about-a-trans-gun-ban-that-initiative-is-stalled/screenshot-2026-02-12-at-1-16-06-pm" rel="attachment wp-att-1043131"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1043131 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Screenshot-2026-02-12-at-1.16.06-PM-1024x339.png" alt="" width="1024" height="339" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Screenshot-2026-02-12-at-1.16.06-PM-1024x339.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Screenshot-2026-02-12-at-1.16.06-PM-300x99.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Screenshot-2026-02-12-at-1.16.06-PM-768x254.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Screenshot-2026-02-12-at-1.16.06-PM.png 1070w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
It was after the Minneapolis shooting that the Department of Justice was deliberating how to respond to this rise in transgender violence. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-doj-considering-gun-ban-for-transgenders">broke the news</a> on September 4 that the DOJ was considering blocking trans-identifying people from buying firearms, reviewing ways to ensure that mentally ill individuals suffering from gender dysphoria are unable to obtain firearms while they are unstable and unwell,&#8221; according to one source.
The DOJ’s discussions centered on the acknowledgement that those who identify as transgender suffer from gender dysphoria, a mental disorder, which describes the sense of unease that a man or woman may feel if he or she thinks that their biological sex is mismatched with their so-called gender identity.
“Democrats have called for common sense gun laws for a long time,” one DOJ source told The Daily Wire in September. “This seems pretty common sense to me.”
The news sparked massive debate from both the Left and the Right, with many raising Second Amendment concerns about such a proposal.
Then, on September 10, a gunman identified by authorities as Tyler Robinson was charged with shooting Kirk in the neck. Robinson lived with his &#8220;transgender partner,&#8221; a male named Lance Twiggs who is attempting to transition to a transgender female. Twiggs had vanished from the public view for months but was <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15542527/lance-twiggs-trans-lover-Charlie-Kirks-accused-assassin-resurfaces.html">just this week spotted living quietly in Texas</a> as the investigation plays out.
While it is known that Robinson deeply disagreed with Kirk&#8217;s political views, it remains unclear whether Robinson specifically targeted Kirk for his views on transgenderism. The FBI&#8217;s investigation into the murder is ongoing.
But the fact remains that Robinson fired at Kirk as the TPUSA founder was addressing transgender violence.
A review by the Daily Wire found a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-were-naming-the-minneapolis-shooter?author=Brent+Scher&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Why+We%E2%80%99re+Naming+The+Minneapolis+Shooter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">steady stream of transgender-related violence</a> over the past decade. And given this rise, many conservatives on the right were calling for closer examination of transgender violence at the time of Kirk&#8217;s death. Some wanted action, furious that officials like Walz had not taken the situation more seriously. Walz instead signed legislation establishing Minnesota as a “trans refuge,” promising to “protect those seeking gender-affirming care.”
Kirk&#8217;s death had stunned the world. He was a personal friend of many members of President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration, including the leadership of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice. Many members of the president&#8217;s cabinet and wider administration traveled to Phoenix, Arizona to commemorate Kirk with his wife and the Turning Point USA team at a massive memorial in Kirk&#8217;s honor.
<div id="attachment_1043335" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-last-questions-charlie-kirk-answered-were-about-a-trans-gun-ban-that-initiative-is-stalled/memorial-service-held-for-slain-conservative-activist-charlie-kirk-at-state-farm-stadium-7" rel="attachment wp-att-1043335"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1043335" class="wp-image-1043335 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2236636785-1-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" data-wp-editing="1" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2236636785-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2236636785-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2236636785-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2236636785-1.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>Erika Kirk joins U.S. President Donald Trump onstage during the memorial service for political activist Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona.  (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)</div>
Five months after the shooting, it is not clear whether the DOJ discussions on banning guns for trans-identifying individuals have moved forward. The DOJ did not immediately comment on the matter to The Daily Wire. A source familiar with the Trump administration&#8217;s thinking said that the topic is not something that they have heard discussed since the Daily Wire&#8217;s original reporting in September.
Reached for comment on the matter, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Friday that the administration is committed to &#8220;investigating, disrupting, dismantling, and prosecuting individuals and entities engaged in organized political violence and domestic terrorism.&#8221;
Jackson slammed left-wing organizations for fueling violent riots, organizing attacks on law enforcement officers, coordinating illegal doxing campaigns, arranging &#8220;drop points for weapons and riot materials, and more,&#8221; promising that the Trump administration will &#8220;get to the bottom of this vast network inciting violence in American communities, and the President’s executive actions to address left-wing violence will put an end to any illegal activities.&#8221;
Her statement did not directly address transgender violence or the proposed gun-ban, referencing the broader &#8220;domestic terrorism&#8221; at play in the United States. Yet there are a number of indicators that the administration is taking transgender violence seriously.
Aboard Air Force One on his way back from Kirk&#8217;s memorial, Trump told The Daily Wire that his administration was “very strongly” examining the string of transgender violence throughout the United States.
“You know, we’re looking at that,” the president said gravely, asking, “What’s the reason for it?”
“Yeah, there seems to be something,” he reflected. “But we’re looking at it very strongly. Something seems to be going on.”
Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to President Donald Trump and senior director for counterterrorism, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/calls-to-investigate-trans-domestic-terrorism-escalate-after-devastating-school-shooting?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Calls+To+Investigate+Trans+Domestic+Terrorism+Escalate+After+Devastating+School+Shooting">told The Daily Wire</a> in early September, before the assassination, that his draft U.S. Counterterrorism plan addresses transgender violence, asked whether there should be a transgender domestic terrorism label such as “Transgender Ideology-Inspired Violence and Extremism” (TIVE) (a classification <a href="https://glaad.org/understanding-anti-trans-tropes-transgender-ideology-inspired-violence-and-extremism/">suggested by The Oversight Project)</a>.
Trump advisor Stephen Miller and Vice President JD Vance, in interviews that took place shortly after Kirk&#8217;s death, vowed to dismantle the domestic terrorism movement within the United States.
&#8220;With God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have at the Justice Department, Homeland Security, and throughout this government, to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy these networks, and make America safe again for the American people,&#8221; said Miller. Vance similarly stressed: &#8220;We have to talk about this incredibly destructive movement of left-wing extremism that has grown up over the last few years, and I believe, is part of the reason why Charlie was killed by an assassin’s bullet.&#8221;
In December, Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href="https://charityandsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Bondi_Memo_On_Countering_Domestic_Terrorism_And_Organized_Political_Violence-1.pdf">issued a memo</a> to all federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies that including &#8220;radical gender ideology&#8221; in a list of domestic terrorism threats.
&#8220;For too long,&#8221; her memo said, &#8220;rampant criminal conduct rising to the level of domestic terrorism—e.g., organized doxing of law enforcement, mass rioting and destruction in our cities, violent efforts to shut down immigration enforcement, targeting of public officials or other political actors, etc.—has been tolerated.&#8221;
&#8220;For some culpable actors, such as certain Antifa-aligned extremists, their animating principle is adherence to the types of extreme viewpoints on immigration, radical gender ideology, and anti-American sentiment listed below, with a willingness to use violence against law-abiding citizenry to serve those beliefs,&#8221; that memo continued. &#8220;Federal law enforcement will prioritize this threat.&#8221;
Where federal agents encounter crime, they will act, Bondi wrote. And where they encounter or suspect domestic terrorism, law enforcement will refer these matters to the Joint Terrorism Task Forces.

The Last Questions Charlie Kirk Answered Were About A Trans Gun Ban. That Initiative Is Stalled.

Transgender

Tyler Robinson&#8217;s defense team suggested during a Tuesday hearing that the Utah County Attorney&#8217;s Office had only moved to seek the death penalty because it was clear that was what President Donald Trump wanted.
Richard Novak, an attorney for Robinson (who is accused of assassinating the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk), questioned Utah County Attorney Jeffrey S. Gray during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZukNzYKgcYM">pre-trial hearing</a> aimed at having Gray&#8217;s office removed from the case due to a perceived conflict of interest.
At issue was Gray&#8217;s decision to seek the death penalty — and the fact that he announced his plan to do so early in the investigation — a move that Novak attributed to &#8220;strong emotional reactions&#8221; within the prosecutor&#8217;s office.
Novak raised several issues that he argued could have driven such an emotional response from the prosecution: the fact that Gray had campaigned on a promise to seek the death penalty in cases he deemed &#8220;appropriate,&#8221; the fact that the adult child of a prosecutor in Gray&#8217;s office had been present at the time of Kirk&#8217;s assassination, and the knowledge that President Trump had already declared his wish to see Kirk&#8217;s killer face the death penalty.
Gray, under questioning from Novak, said that he&#8217;d become aware at some point that a prosecutor in his office had an adult child who had witnessed the shooting, but that they had not discussed it and it had not been a factor in his decision-making process.
Gray also said in a previous filing that the adult child in question had returned to classes after the shooting and had not experienced lasting trauma outside of being scared in the moment.
&#8220;Under these circumstances, there is virtually no risk, let alone a significant risk, that it would arouse such emotions in any father-prosecutor as to render him unable to fairly prosecute the case,&#8221; Gray said in the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/defendant-in-charlie-kirks-killing-asks-judge-to-disqualify-prosecution-team">filing</a>, arguing that the defense&#8217;s claims were rooted in a desire to delay proceedings rather than to pursue justice.
When Novak asked whether Gray had been aware that Trump had posted about the suspect, &#8220;I hope he gets the death penalty,&#8221; Gray said he knew the president had said that, but that he had not taken Trump&#8217;s social media posts into consideration when determining whether or not to seek capital punishment.
Novak also raised the question of campaign promises, and, noting that Gray had run on a promise to seek the death penalty, wondered whether he&#8217;d simply been in a hurry to check that off his to-do list.
Gray corrected Novak then, saying that he&#8217;d promised to seek the death penalty in cases where it was appropriate to do so — and that both he and Governor Spencer Cox (R) had determined it was appropriate in this case regardless of promises he&#8217;d made during his 2022 campaign.
When given a chance to explain why he&#8217;d announced the decision to seek the death penalty as early as he did — noting that he had until arraignment to do so — Gray said that his goal had been to limit speculation from social media and the press and to lessen the anxiety felt by the victims, specifically, Charlie&#8217;s widow Erika Kirk.
&#8220;The longer you delay that decision … the more delay, then it just creates all this unnecessary speculation and everything else,&#8221; Gray said, adding that he did it to prevent &#8220;unnecessary angst with the families of victims … so Erika Kirk didn’t have to deal with that uncertainty.&#8221;
The defense also petitioned the court to bar all video recordings and still photography in the courtroom during the trial.

Charlie Kirk Murder Suspect Tyler Robinson Attends Court Hearing

Charlie Kirk’s Suspected Assassin Fights Death Penalty, Says Trump Influenced Prosecutor

Death Penalty

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