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COMMENTARY by Benny Johnson — "🚨Judge Rules in Charlie Kirk Murder Trial: Tyler Robinson To Face Death Penalty | Reaction…" (published 2026-09-02).
This is third-party opinion/analysis ABOUT State of Utah v. Tyler James Robinson — NOT the court record. It is indexed for comparison against the primary transcripts/filings. Transcript is the YouTube auto-caption track (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuqxU9doaDA) — verbatim ASR.
It's actually happening. The murder trial of the century is moving forward with the death penalty for Tyler Robinson facing capital murder charges on all seven counts for killing murdering Charlie Kirk. All charges all seven charges will be allowed to be brought forward in the courthouse by Judge Tony Graph who ruled just seconds ago that the aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm for serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, concealing removing a rifle obstruction of justice, concealing removing clothing worn during a shooting, witness tampering, directing the roommate to delete texts, witness tampering, directing the roommate to stay silent, and violent offense committed in the presence of a child will all be charged against Tyler Robinson. Now he is to be arraigned and a jury selected and a trial date set. Here is the judge. >> for the shooting. In text messages sent to his roommate Lance Twiggs shortly after the shooting defendant allegedly stated, "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I took it." He followed this with a second text message addressing why he acted. "Why did I do it? I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out." These electronic statements are further corroborated by the alleged in-person confirmation to Twiggs following the morning the following morning and subsequent message from defendant's Discord account stating "It was me at UVU yesterday." Viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, this evidence is sufficient at this stage to support a reasonable belief that defendant is the individual who shot and killed Charlie Kirk. Accordingly, the state has demonstrated probable cause as to the identity Turning to the legal framework uh aggravating circumstances under state v. Sosa Hurtado. The central legal dispute concerning the aggravating circumstance alleged under Utah Code 76-5-201 >> So, the This is, of course, the ballgame. The judge saying that the prosecution presented enough for probable cause, and now Tyler Robinson will face the death penalty, which in Utah may mean a firing squad, ironically. Utah's one of the few states that actually still has the firing squad as a death penalty. Uh the judge has ruled that Tyler Robinson may face death for the killing of Charlie Kirk. Uh and he said that there is probable cause that the person who actually shot Charlie is the guy who admitted eight times to shooting Charlie Kirk. The guy who is on the video, according to the prosecution, scaling and scampering around the rooftop, laying in a prone position at exactly the time, 12:22 p.m., that Charlie Kirk was shot. You can see the recoil of the rifle, you can see him running, you can see him on the footage, you can see him exiting the vehicle, you can see the license plate of the car, you can see everything. They have a demonstrable case, and I am longing for the Charlie Kirk murder industrial complex to come crashing down. I think we have the evidence that the actual that the state has and you're starting to see the drip drip drip happening with various commentators like Andrew Wilson and others uh stating that we haven't seen anything yet when it comes to blowing up uh the obscene lies that have been told about this case for profit. Yeah, it has been the worst thing that I've seen in our movement ever. I've never seen anything more grotesque. and shattering of a moment where it was a unified Republican party that was set forth, a unified nation frankly, set about the destruction of the violent left. Now Hasan [ __ ] is thanking Candace Owens for her atomization and so many other retards atomization of that moment, the greatest squandering of political capital that could save many lives. I was in a sentencing hearing last week for a man who threatened my family to blow my head off just like Charlie Kirk. And we could have used that inertia, which is I mean, was miraculous frankly at the end of Charlie's miraculous life galvanizing tens of millions if not hundreds of millions across the country to end left-wing political violence and this was our chance and it was squandered and broken for people's monetization and I get it. I get it. I don't trust the federal government either. And I realize the people's brains were broken by COVID. And I realize that so much of this has to do with being lied to about well, everything. Pearl Harbor, the USS the Gulf of Tonkin, CIA experiments, the Kennedy assassination, January 6th, the Gulf Wars, 9/11, all like I I COVID, I I get it. The federal government does not deserve your trust. But that doesn't mean that everything they say is a lie. It doesn't mean that every single thing that's happening is a lie, that all of it is a massive conspiracy. You must look to verify. This is why we have tried to hold our tongue as best that we can to allow this trial to go forth. Now, ironically, absolutely stunningly, the defense has not once used any of the lavish, obscene, fanciful theories of vibes and astrology, I guess, consulting the crystals. It's like the same the the crossover between these people and Lindsey Clancy, right? The crossover between these people and like the Lindsey Clancy supporters is a 100% coefficient. And so I've tried like again, I've tried to like hold my tongue and be just like have give people the ability to absorb all the information. But now that the information is out there, now that you can see that Tyler Robinson admitted to killing Charlie Kirk eight times. That his own defense doesn't has not argued against any of the state's evidence. Not a single thing that the state has presented. In fact, they say that it's that is Tyler Robinson in the security footage. They say it. That is Tyler Robinson walking through the UVU campus with what looks like a firearm down his So many people loathing. And shame. And but I think they are incapable of shame at this point anyway. Uh the point is that these are the charges that he will face. And uh Tyler Robinson immediately uh pleaded not guilty to all of them. >> Not guilty on Mr. Robinson's behalf to all counts. >> All right. The court finds that that's is knowingly and voluntarily made and that addresses that issue. >> All right, ladies and gentlemen. So, there it is. Death penalty is on the table. It's going to trial. Uh graph bound Tyler Robinson, ladies and gentlemen. Probable cause met. The evidence supports a reasonable belief that Robinson was the man who shot Charlie Kirk. And we're stalling on whether a crime happened. No more pretending this is a maybe. Next is the jury. And that Charlie doesn't get another year of delay. Case has to move, ladies and gentlemen. Does worry me quite a bit that this may actually take months, if not years, to get the trial set. Maybe 2028. That is enraging. Statement on behalf of the Kirk family. Today's decision just comes nearly a year after Charlie was taken from us. An important step in the pursuit of justice. Every step in this process carries the weight of Charlie's murder, taken from his family, his children. We're grateful for those who have continued to pray for us through unimaginable grief. The next phase of the judicial process begins. Our family remains un uh united in love for Charlie. Justice. Prayer. In this time. Well, ladies and gentlemen, pray for justice. And pray for the destructions of people who tried to monetize all of this. And robbed the nation of something that could be could have been truly useful uh as a memory of Charlie's life, giving his life like a martyr, I call him American martyr, in order to have us focus on left-wing violence. He was answering a question about transgender violence right as he was killed by a gay guy with a transgender boyfriend. And they all admit it. And then they get protected by the right. Oh, it's the biggest op I've ever seen in my life. Sickens the soul. Anyway, pray for justice in this life or the next, you know. It's your boy Benny. Like, share, and subscribe. Let me know what you think in the