Liberals hype Tyler Robinson’s conservative roots after MAGA backlash

Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson‘s political affiliations and views were a source of heavy speculation in the immediate aftermath of Wednesday’s murder, with liberals now refuting the early speculation stemming from President Donald Trump on down that the shooter was part of “the left.”

Why It Matters

The arrest of Robinson, 22, concludes a nationwide manhunt following the fatal shooting of conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, 31, at Utah Valley University during a speaking event. Trump, during an in-studio appearance on Friday on Fox & Friends, said that the suspect was taken into custody.

During a national address on Wednesday evening, Trump blamed the “radical left” for the assassination even as the investigation was in its early stages and tensions were escalating across the U.S. It spurred online messages, including from some prominent conservative commentators, declaring “war” against the political left.

“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop,” Trump said.

What To Know

Robinson, a white male from Washington, Utah, is a third-year student in Dixie Technical College’s electrical apprenticeship program. He was not a student at Utah Valley University.

Robinson’s parents are Amber Jones Robinson and Matt Robinson, the latter of whom is a 27-year veteran of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, according to the Daily Mail. He is a registered Republican.

The family, which reportedly includes two other sons, owns a six-bedroom home in the suburbs, valued at around $634,400, according to Zillow.

A photo circulating on social media was initially posted on Facebook by Amber on June 11, 2017, showing her children holding firearms as part of an event in Salt Lake City associated with members of the U.S. military and their “Uncle Mikey.”

“Raised in the stereotypical All-American white conservative family with a sheriff for a father, Tyler grew up around guns and knew how to use them. It’s the guns,” Joel Montfort, a Democratic political scientist from Texas, wrote on X.

Ron Filipkowski, editor-in-chief of Meidas Touch, wrote on X: “So after days of Republicans blaming and vilifying Democrats and trans people for Kirk’s murder despite having no clue who the person was, we find out it’s a white guy from a Republican family in Utah who loved guns.”

Actor Billy Baldwin, citing the Daily Mail report, said the following on X: “Not Black.
Not Trans. Not Muslim. Not an Immigrant. Not a Democrat. Meet Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson. A white Christian, Conservative, Republican male with a gun… again.”

Andrea Junker, a self-proclaimed “voice against Trumpism” with more than 256,000 X followers, wrote on the platform: “So Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk’s killer, is neither a Democrat, nor transgender, nor an immigrant, but instead a 22-year-old white guy from a Republican family in Utah who loves guns and wore a Donald Trump costume on Halloween. — Did I get that right?”

“Well, well, well…Tyler Robinson, the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk…Not trans. Not an immigrant. Not a ‘radical leftist.’ Just a straight, white male. Where are the apologies? I can’t hear any over all these crickets,” wrote BrooklynDad_Defiant!, a Democrat who has 1.3 million X followers.

Singer-songwriter and anti-Trumper Bill Madden, who has over 327,000 followers, wrote on X: “Apparently, this educated white Christian son of a sheriff, Tyler Robinson, was groomed in all the ways MAGA likes.”

He posted a picture from Amber Jones Robinson’s Facebook page, dated June 10, 2017, showing the suspect holding a rocket launcher.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said during a press conference that a family member of Tyler was interviewed by investigators, saying that he had become more political in recent years. That family member said Tyler said he did not like Kirk and the viewpoints he held, according to the governor.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox issued a heartfelt appeal for unity on Friday, urging Americans across the political spectrum to embrace hope and follow the example set by Charlie Kirk. Speaking after Kirk’s assassination, Cox praised the conservative activist’s dedication to open dialogue and civic engagement.

The X account Libs of Tiktok, which has 4.4 million followers and previously posted that Kirk’s death was “war,” has not yet acknowledged Robinson’s background and instead has made repeated posts attempting to out individuals who celebrated or praised Kirk’s murder.

What People Are Saying

Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, during a press conference: “I desperately call on every American — Republican, Democrat, liberal, progressive, conservative, MAGA, all of us — to please, please, please follow what Charlie taught me.”

What Happens Next

Robinson is held in custody in Utah. Memorial services for Kirk have not been announced yet. He is survived by his wife and two children.

The President said on Friday, “I hope he’s gonna be found guilty, I would imagine, and I hope he gets the death penalty for what he did.” After Kirk’s shooting, Utah’s governor reminded the public that the state enforces the death penalty.