The reactions to Charlie Kirk’s assassination coming from the left have been largely vile and dehumanizing. But with these remarks from an ABC News reporter, we can add “bizarre” to that list.
During a recent broadcast, ABC News’ Matt Gutman commented on the relationship between Tyler Robinson, the suspect, and his trans-identified lover, Lance Twiggs. Gutman’s commentary sounded more like it came from a bad telenovela than an actual analysis of the individual who carried out the shooting.
He said he wasn’t sure if “We have seen an alleged murder with such specific text messages about the alleged murder weapon, where it was hidden, how it was placed, what was on it.” The reporter was referring to a recently-publicized text message exchange between Robinson and Twiggs.
“But also, it was 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 suspect himself, with him repeatedly calling his roommate, who was transitioning, calling him ‘my love,’ and ‘I want to protect you, my love.’”
Gutman continued, saying that “it was this duality of someone who the attorney said not only jeopardized the life of Charlie Kirk and the crowd, but was doing it in front of children, which is one of the aggravating circumstances of this case.”
Yet, “he was speaking so lovingly about his partner,” Gutman added.
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
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Gutman doubled down on his romance novel narrative. He acknowledged that Kirk “was murdered brutally in front of a crowd of thousands of people who watched him being shot through the neck and then essentially bleed out in front of them” and noted that the prosecution pointed out that “seven charges were aggravated because children were present.”
However, he made sure we knew that he had never “experienced a press conference in which we’ve read text messages that are so fulsome, so robust, so apparently, allegedly self-incriminating, and yet, on the other hand, so touching, with the suspect reaching out ot his rommate, who is allegedly his boyfriend, who we understand identified as male at birth, now identifies as female.”
Gutman noted that Robinson “kept calling him ‘my love’” and was “asking him to delete the messages and not speak to law enforcement.”
“So, there’s this heartbreaking duality that we’re seeing very tragically playing,” 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 authorities on Tuesday released a snippet of text messages between Robinson and Twiggs in which the alleged shooter confessed his intention to murder Kirk. The messages were sent before and after the assassination.
Imagine thinking it makes sense to focus more on Robinson’s “touching” relationship with his partner instead of the horrific murder he allegedly committed. For the life of me, I can’t fathom why anyone would feel the need to romanticize an assassination.
This is not a movie. It’s not a fictional story. A man is dead because he voiced opinions that some people didn’t appreciate. His wife and two children are left without a husband and father. There is absolutely no reason to try to shoehorn a romance narrative into the tragedy.
But we already know what’s going on here, don’t we? I wonder what would happen if we looked at how Gutman covered the two attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump? What about the individual who murdered two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota? Did he romanticize them too or is that just reserved for those who murder folks on the right?
I think we already know the answer, don’t we?