What Did ABC Reporter Matt Gutman Say to Incite Backlash? Inside the Remarks That Caused People to Call for His Firing
Matt Gutman has appeared on various programs for the network, including ‘Good Morning America,’ ‘ABC World News Tonight,’ ‘20/20,’ and ‘Nightline.’
Published Sept. 18 2025, 12:50 p.m. ET
There has been considerable fallout in the legacy media space following the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, as many have been fired, suspended, and publicly reprimanded for their views on the topic. ABC News journalist Matt Gutman is among the publicly reprimanded, as the long-time network fixture recently faced backlash for his commentary regarding shooting suspect Tyler Robinson.
As the Chief National Correspondent for ABC News, Matt Gutman has appeared on various programs for the network, including Good Morning America, ABC World News Tonight, 20/20, and Nightline.
What did Matt Gutman say?
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, Matt Gutman was reporting on the text messages from Charlie Kirk shooting suspect, Tyler Robinson, and his roommate.
It was at that time that the ABC News reporter made a comparison that drew ire from some viewers, noting that Tyler’s texts were “very touching in a way we did not expect,” Matt said, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Backlash ensued online, with some accusing the reporter of romanticizing Tyler and lacking empathy for the murder of the late conservative figure.
The following day, Matt issued an apology for his comments.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the famed journalist offered both an apology and explanation for his remarks.
“Yesterday I tried to underscore the jarring contrast between this cold-blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk — a man who dedicated his life to public dialogue — and the personal, disturbing texts read aloud by the Utah County Attorney at the press conference,” his post began.
“I deeply regret that my words did not make that clear,” he continued. “But let there be zero doubt here: I unequivocally condemn this horrific crime and the pain it caused Charlie Kirk’s family, those who were forced to witness it at UVU and the millions of people he inspired.”
Matt joins a growing list of reporters and media personalities who have either been fired or condemned for their commentary regarding Charlie Kirk.
Since the Turning Point USA co-founder’s death, many have lost their jobs entirely, such as former Washington Post opinion columnist Karen Attiah, ex-MSNBC anchor Matthew Dowd, and most notably, popular late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel — who saw his show pulled off the air “indefinitely” due to his opening monologue comments regarding Kirk's killer.
After his Sept. 15 monologue, Jimmy was blasted by current FCC chairman Brendan Carr, leading Nexstar ABC affiliates to announce that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be preempted “indefinitely,” according to Deadline.
Jimmy referenced the aftermath of Kirk’s death, saying: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Jimmy joins Stephen Colbert as the latest late-night talk show host to have their shows effectively cancelled. Following the news of his show being pulled off the air, Donald Trump gloated about the fate of his long-time foe and urged NBC to make the same decision for fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, per the outlet.