Donald Trump Jr. speaks out on Charlie Kirk murder case after viewing unsealed evidence in court
Donald Trump Jr. has broken his silence after sitting through a courtroom hearing that saw previously unsealed evidence laid out in the case against the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk.
Trump Jr. attended the preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old Utah man charged with fatally shooting Kirk, 31, at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025.
Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted, and the hearing, which began Monday, is being used by prosecutors to establish whether there's enough probable cause for the case to proceed to trial.
Speaking afterwards on Jesse Watters Primetime, Trump Jr., a longtime friend of Kirk and regular speaker at Turning Point USA events, said what he'd seen and heard in court had left little doubt in his mind about who was responsible.
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According to Fox News, prosecutors presented text messages during Thursday's hearing that Robinson had allegedly sent to his roommate after the shooting, in which he admitted to the killing and said he'd 'had enough of his hatred'.
DNA evidence was also presented in court.
"Based on everything that I saw in that courtroom, it's very clear to me that Tyler Robinson did this," Trump Jr. said.
What evidence was presented against Tyler Robinson in court?
Trump Jr. pointed to that evidence, along with the fact Robinson later turned himself in, as reasons he now considers the case largely settled.
"This stuff is very cut-and-dry at this point," he said. "The DNA evidence, the fact that he turned himself in, to me, it puts so much of this at rest."
Trump Jr. also raised questions over the level of security at the campus event where Kirk was killed, pointing out that only six police officers were said to have been present on the day.
Why does Donald Trump Jr. think security was too light at Kirk's event?
He said events of that size for Turning Point USA typically draw a far bigger law enforcement presence, given the scale of the crowds they attract.
"These are big events," he said. "I've done a hundred of them with Charlie Kirk on college campuses all over the place. That there wasn't an all-hands-on-deck kind of operation to prevent this very thing from happening is truly scary."
He argued that public opinion on the case had shifted dramatically since the unsealed evidence emerged, describing it as moving from a '50-50' split to '90-10', with the vast majority now believing Robinson is responsible for Kirk's death.
Trump Jr. dismissed conspiracy theories that have circulated around Kirk's death since the shooting, though he said he understood why some people remained skeptical given the nature of the case and how quickly it unfolded in the public eye.
Prosecutors are expected to present further evidence during Friday's hearing as the preliminary proceedings continue, though no trial date has yet been set for Robinson, who faces charges including aggravated murder.
UNILAD has contacted representatives of Donald Trump Jr. for additional comment.
Timeline of events following Charlie Kirk’s assassination
September 10 2025 - Day of the attack
12pm - Kirk presents a scheduled event at Utah Valley University (UVU)
12.23pm - While taking a question on gun violence, Kirk is shot in the neck by a single bullet. Footage shows the podcaster slumped over before being carried in a car as the crowd erupts into panic.
2.40pm - President Donald Trump later confirmed Kirk’s passing on Truth Social, writing: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.
"He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.”
September 11 2025 - Gun and engraved bullet casings discovered
At a press conference, authorities say they had discovered a bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel, as well as some bullet casings with phrases like ‘Hey fascist, catch!’ and ‘notices, bulges, OWO, what's this?’. The latter is a reference to the furry subculture, which centres on human-like animals.
Meanwhile, the FBI releases images and video of a 'person of interest'. Tyler Robinson's mother allegedly recognizes him and his parents confront him.
Later that day, Robinson turns himself in to the police.
September 12 2025 - Tyler Robinson’s arrest announced
While appearing on Fox and Friends, Trump says a suspect was in custody: “Essentially, someone that was very close to him turned him in.”
Later, authorities announce Robinson’s arrest, who, according to investigators, had confessed to his father, leading to him calling a family friend, who then called the US Marshals, who detained the 22-year-old.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, gives her first statement after her husband’s passing, saying that his movement ‘is not going anywhere’.
She adds: “You have no idea the fire you've ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”
September 16 2025 - Charges against Robinson announced
Prosecutors reveal the charges against Robinson included aggravated murder, commission of a violent offence in the presence of a child, two counts of witness tampering, two counts of obstruction of justice and felony discharge of a firearm. Robinson makes his first initial court appearance.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said prosecutors will seek the death penalty if he is convicted, adding: “I do not take this decision lightly.”
September 21 2025 - Erika Kirk says she ‘forgives’ his killer
At Kirk’s memorial service on 21 September, the 37-year-old takes to the stage to pay tribute to her husband and reveal why she’d ‘forgiven’ his killer.
“My husband, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she said.
"On the cross, our saviour said: ‘Father, forgive them for they not know what they do.’
"That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do."
July 6 2026 - Robinson back in court
A five-day preliminary hearing begins, where prosecutors lay out the evidence against Robinson.
Topics: Charlie Kirk, Crime, Gun Crime
Thomas Bamford