There is nothing to suggest that the suspected killer of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was connected to any “left-wing groups,” according to investigators looking into the killing.
Three Justice Department officials working on the case spoke with NBC News, and one said, “Thus far, there is no evidence connecting the suspect with any left-wing groups.” They added there is “every indication... that this was one guy who did one really bad thing because he found Kirk’s ideology personally offensive.”
The officials also voiced that it would be difficult to bring federal charges against Robinson, as Robinson allegedly committed the crime in Utah and is a resident of the Beehive State. Furthermore, Kirk was an influencer activist, and not an elected official.
The Justice Department spokesperson officially declined to comment on the case as an ongoing investigation.
Robinson’s alleged motives remain unknown, though the indictment against him says his Republican mother described him as “moving to the left.” Text messages in the indictment between Robinson and his transitioning partner find Robinson saying he had had enough of Kirk’s “hatred.”
Kirk’s murder is being used by the Trump administration to threaten crackdowns on left-wing groups. White House Deputy Chief of Staff vowed vengeance on the Left on the first episode of The Charlie Kirk Show since the assassination, saying left-wing organizations amounted to a “vast domestic terror movement.”
“With God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have at the Department of Justice, Homeland Security and throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle and destroy these networks and make America safe again for the American people,” Stephen Miller told Vice President JD Vance, who was guest-hosting Kirk’s show. “It will happen, and we will do it in Charlie’s name.”
Trump also voiced his desire to label “antifa” a “domestic terror organization.”
It is unknown how the Trump administration intends to crack down on left-wing groups. “Antifa” is not a formal organization but rather an ideology that is associated with some small activist groups. “Antifa” does not have a leadership structure or base of operations.
Right-wing groups have been responsible for over ten times more terror attacks than left-wing groups since 2002, according to a study conducted by the ADL. The Justice Department recently found similar numbers in its own study. It recently scrubbed that study from its website.
