An ABC News correspondent is under fire after offering an unusual interpretation of text messages between accused Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson and his transgender partner.
The messages, revealed Tuesday during a press conference in Utah, were presented by ABC’s Matt Gutman as “intimate,” “fulsome,” and “very touching,” sparking backlash from lawmakers, commentators, and the public.
Gutman delivered his remarks during a live report from the press conference addressing the Sept. 10 killing of Kirk.
He described the texts Robinson allegedly sent just hours after the assassination as a striking mix of incriminating and emotional content.
“But, also, it was very touching in a way that many of us didn’t expect,” Gutman said.
The reporter continued, “A very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect’s roommate and the suspect himself, with him repeatedly calling his roommate, who is transitioning, calling him ‘my love.’ And ‘I want to protect you, my love.’”
DISGUSTING: ABC’s Matt Gutman says he’s not sure “if we have seen an alleged murder with such specific text messages” that were “very touching, in a way, that I think many of us didn’t expect — a very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect’s roommate and the… pic.twitter.com/ulPcxoOwM3
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 16, 2025
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Gutman added that prosecutors argued Robinson endangered not only Kirk and attendees but also children present at the event, labeling it an aggravating circumstance in the case.
Still, he framed the personal messages between Robinson and his partner as a “riveting” aspect of the press conference.
“And then, on the other hand, he was, you know, speaking so lovingly about his partner. So a very interesting, riveting press conference,” Gutman concluded.
Following the press conference, Gutman reiterated his observations on ABC’s livestream platform, doubling down on the characterization of the messages as both incriminating and emotionally moving.
“I don’t think I 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, right?” he said.
Gutman highlighted language in the texts in which Robinson referred to his partner as “my love” and justified his actions as an attempt to provide protection.
He also noted that Robinson allegedly urged his partner to delete the messages and avoid cooperating with law enforcement. “So, there’s this heartbreaking duality that we’re seeing very tragically playing out,” Gutman added.
ABC’s Matt Gutman doubled down, ten minutes later after this on ABC News Live: “It’s heartbreaking on so many levels, Kyra. Obviously, Charlie Kirk was murdered brutally in front of a crowd of thousands…[O]n the other hand, there is this duality of a very a portrait of a very… pic.twitter.com/0ykDhsg1Ko
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 16, 2025
The coverage quickly drew widespread criticism across social media, with many viewers accusing Gutman of adopting a sympathetic tone toward the accused assassin.
Karol Markowicz, columnist for the New York Post, responded on X with a blunt “Wtaf.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis commented, “Legacy media in all its glory.”
Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., wrote, “Wait, what???” while Fox News host Will Cain described the broadcast as “Fundamentally, irredeemably, broken.”
Meghan McCain also joined the criticism, posting, “Is everyone @ABC out of their minds?!”
Several users on X called for ABC News to terminate Gutman over the remarks.
Multiple posts demanding his dismissal received thousands of likes, reflecting mounting pressure on the network.
The incident added another layer of controversy to the high-profile case surrounding Robinson, who has been charged in connection with Kirk’s killing.
While prosecutors outlined the serious nature of the crime and its impact on victims, ABC News is now facing questions about how its coverage framed the suspect’s alleged communications.
ABC wasn’t alone in their framing of the Charlie Kirk Assassination as ‘love story.’
Kamala’s former lover, Montel Williams, also pushed a similar narrative.
Montel Williams seriously called the 24-year-old assassin a “love-torn child” in “his first real relationship.”
Maybe his case should be transferred to juvenile court?
These people are so sick in the head and there’s no helping them. https://t.co/6sAFtg1sGO
— Douglass Mackey (@DougMackeyCase) September 17, 2025
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