AILSA CHANG, HOST:
We begin this hour in Utah, where authorities announced charges today against the person accused of killing the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Tyler Robinson has been charged with six felonies, including aggravated murder. The Utah County attorney said he will seek the death penalty. NPR domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef has been following all of this closely and joins us now. Hi, Odette.
ODETTE YOUSEF, BYLINE: Hey, Ailsa.
CHANG: OK, so what more did we learn today from prosecutors?
YOUSEF: Well, Utah County attorney Jeff Gray laid out the charges and the timeline behind the attack and the investigation. And the really new information came from text messages that Robinson allegedly exchanged with his roommate. Authorities say this individual was a male transitioning to female and that they had also been Robinson’s romantic partner. Authorities also say this person has been fully cooperating with the investigation.
But Gray shared information about a note that Robinson allegedly left behind for this roommate, saying, quote, “I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it.” And when his roommate asked after the killing why Robinson had done it, Robinson texted, quote, “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” Kirk, it should be noted, often spoke of his anti-trans views.
CHANG: Well, there has been so much speculation about the motive behind the shooting, so how do you think the information today from prosecutors is further shaping these assessments that people are making?
YOUSEF: So first, we have to remind everyone that right now, these are still charges. You know, Robinson will have an opportunity to defend himself in court. But many had already made up their minds about his motives last week, especially after Utah Governor Spencer Cox shared that Robinson had a romantic partner who was transitioning. Gray’s remarks in announcing the charges today suggest that Robinson targeted Kirk because of the conservative activist’s anti-trans views. But since the weekend, several prominent Republicans have gone further, making claims about violence in the left that are quite sweeping and without evidence.
CHANG: Like what kind of claims?
YOUSEF: Well, yesterday, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller spoke with Vice President JD Vance, who was guest hosting Charlie Kirk’s podcast. And there, Miller said certain left-wing groups were behind attacks on ICE officers or had incited riots. Earlier today, we heard much the same from Republican Senator Ted Cruz in a hearing with FBI Director Kash Patel - Cruz encouraging Patel to quote, “follow the money.” He stated - again, without evidence - that he believes certain funders are putting, in his words, significant money that is spreading dissension and spreading violence. He specifically focused on the Antifa movement and said he wants it designated as a terrorist organization. And he said he wants to see RICO laws amended to facilitate those investigations and prosecutions.
CHANG: I have to ask you, Odette, because you’ve covered political violence and extremism for a long time now, given what we know so far about this shooting of Charlie Kirk, how do you think all of this affects the overall picture in the U.S. right now?
YOUSEF: You know, for many years, it’s been the consensus of analysts - and the FBI up until this year - that the most persistent and lethal threat in the U.S. has come from violent white supremacists. The data support this. Far-right actors have been behind deadly mass shootings at synagogues, Black churches, Walmarts, grocery stores and other places. If indeed the allegations bear out here, this would represent a significant escalation in violence from what’s perceived as the political left.
CHANG: That is NPR domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef. Thank you, Odette.
YOUSEF: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
