Utah Governor Spencer Cox told The Wall Street Journal on Saturday that investigators believe Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, had been “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology.”
Authorities are still piecing together Robinson’s motives, but early evidence points to political symbolism. Bullet casings reportedly had engravings that included “Hey Fascist! Catch!” a phrase paired with arrows referencing the satirical video game Helldivers 2, which mocks fascism. Another casing carried lyrics from the anti-fascist anthem Bella Ciao.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed “radical left rhetoric” for fueling political violence. In a video posted to Truth Social, Trump said:
“For years those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and mass murderers. This rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism we are seeing in our country today, and it must stop.”
Governor Cox explained that investigators spoke with Robinson’s family and concluded he had become more politically driven in recent years. Public records show Robinson was registered as “Unaffiliated” and had not voted in the last two general elections, while both of his parents are Republicans.
The suspect allegedly spoke with a family member about Kirk’s planned appearance at Utah Valley University before the shooting.
The political meaning behind the bullet casings remains disputed. Some argue the slogans reflect anti-fascist sentiment, while others claim they could be ironic references tied to the Groyper movement a group associated with white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Fuentes, however, condemned the attack and said on X (formerly Twitter) that he is being “framed with zero evidence.”
Other voices across the political spectrum have weighed in:
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY): “This is horrific. The assassination of Charlie Kirk risks unleashing political chaos and violence that America cannot afford.”
- Nick Fuentes, far-right podcaster: “The Left gunned him down and celebrated it. Now they are blaming me. These people are pure evil.”
- Ron Filipkowski, editor of MeidasTouch: “After Republicans spent days blaming Democrats and trans people, we now learn the suspect is a white man from a Republican family in Utah who loved guns.”
As legal proceedings move forward, the case has sparked heated debate online over political rhetoric, extremism, and the growing threat of politically motivated violence in America.
Comments
Post a Comment