ABC News correspondent Matt Gutman has drawn criticism after calling text messages between Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin and his transgender partner “very touching” during coverage of a press conference announcing murder charges.
The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, faces seven felony counts in connection with the September 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
Incriminating and Intimate Texts
Investigators revealed that Robinson exchanged a series of detailed messages with his partner about the murder weapon, which prosecutors described as both incriminating and intimate.
Gutman highlighted the emotional tone of the messages during ABC’s livestream:
“It was very touching in a way that many of us didn’t expect,” he said. “A very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect’s roommate, who is transitioning, and the suspect himself, with him repeatedly calling his roommate, ‘my love.’ And, ‘I want to protect you, my love.’”
He further called the press conference “riveting” and “heartbreaking on so many levels,” noting the contrast between Robinson’s alleged planning of the murder and his expressions of affection.
“I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a press conference in which we’ve read text messages that are A, so fulsome, so robust, so apparently allegedly self-incriminating and yet, on the other hand, so touching,” Gutman said.
Public Outcry
ABC’s Matt Gutman smiles & swoons over text messages between the killer & his trans-roommate: 🤨
“The suspect, repeatedly calling his roommate, who is transitioning, calling him ‘my love‘ & I want to protect you, my love.’”pic.twitter.com/nKKRj0R8UA— Marla Hohner (@marlahohner) September 16, 2025
Gutman’s remarks were widely condemned online, with critics accusing him of romanticizing a brutal crime. Social media users described his framing as “disgusting” and “tone-deaf,” arguing that focusing on Robinson’s personal relationship distracts from the severity of Kirk’s assassination.
Robinson was arrested after a manhunt and remains in custody. Prosecutors say the texts are a key piece of evidence, demonstrating both premeditation and attempts to destroy evidence.
Matt Gutman and ABC News have not yet issued a public statement regarding the backlash.
