Texts Allegedly Sent From Tyler Robinson to His Romantic Partner Could Point to a Motive

The suspect arrested in connection with the assassination of Charlie Kirk was in court for the first time nearly a week after the podcaster was killed. Tyler Robinson appeared virtually, wearing an anti-suicide vest, saying little apart from his name. He was charged with felony aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of felony obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.

Since Robinson's arrest, information about his personal life has been made available to the public. This includes the political affiliations of his family, interests and hobbies, and details about his relationship. Text messages Robinson allegedly sent to his romantic partner could provide insight to a possible motive. Here's what we know.

According to a charging document filed by prosecutors, Robinson allegedly texted his romantic partner following the shooting, per NBC News. "Drop what you’re doing, look under my keyboard," said the first text. That's when his partner reportedly found a note that read, "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it."

Initially Robinson's partner didn't believe what he was saying. The 22-year-old went on to explain he was stuck in Orem, Utah, where Kirk was killed, and was waiting until it was safe to grab his rifle. When asked why he did it, Robinson allegedly replied, "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out."

In the texts, Robinson also allegedly said that since Trump took office, his father has become a "die hard MAGA." After revealing that he was turning himself in, Robinson wrote that he was more worried about his partner, whom he refers to as "my love." Robinson asked his partner to delete the texts and avoid the press. "If any police ask you questions, ask for a lawyer," writes Robinson, further demanding that his partner "stay silent."

Investigative journalist Ken Klippenstein spoke with a few of Robinson's friends, who painted a fuller picture of the 22-year-old. In a post to Substack, Klippenstein said a middle school friend of Robinson's was quite shocked following the arrest. "I think the main thing that’s caused so much confusion is that he was always generally apolitical for the most part," said the friend. "That's the big thing, he just never really talked politics, which is why it's so frustrating."

When asked about Robinson's family and the likelihood that they would accept his sexual orientation, the friend had an interesting response. "I don't think even Tyler knew the answer to that question, which is why he kept it so low-key between themselves," they said. "Obviously, he's okay with gay and trans people having a right to exist, but also believes in the Second Amendment," they added.

Another friend shared private Discord messages with Klippenstein, all of which seem pretty typical for a guy his age. When a search for Trump or Biden was conducted, both only came up once. Trump was referenced in regard to his 2019 impeachment, while Biden was brought up the day of the 2020 election. Robinson primarily made jokes, shared memes, or discussed video games.