Many Americans watched with interest – and sadness – last week as the preliminary hearings began in the Charlie Kirk assassination case.
The prosecution and defense presented evidence and arguments regarding the fate of the accused killer, Tyler Robinson. But at least one Republican senator believes that the evidence presented by prosecutors is too overwhelming for Robinson’s lawyers to overcome.
And he also believes that the judge in the case, Tony Graf Jr., thinks so too.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said Thursday that prosecutors presented what he described as “absolutely compelling” and “damning” confession evidence against Robinson.
According to Lee, Robinson allegedly confessed to killing the Turning Point USA founder on multiple occasions, including in text messages and in statements made to an acquaintance.
Lee said he was in the courtroom, seated behind Kirk’s family, when Graf admitted the evidence, which the senator characterized as highly compelling and damaging to Robinson’s defense.
“I was in the courtroom today sitting next to Jack Posobiec and just behind Erica Kirk when evidence was admitted by Judge Graf,” Lee said in a video posted to X.
“That evidence, the evidence admitted today, is absolutely compelling. It’s damning,” Lee added.
“It contains multiple confessions by the defendant, Tyler Robinson, acknowledging not only that he killed Charlie Kirk, but acknowledging that he did so having planned it in advance in great detail,” he continued.
“And acknowledging at one point that he was motivated by hate,” Lee, a former federal prosecutor, noted further.
Lee noted that Judge Graf took a careful approach before ultimately ruling that the defense has to face the weight of the repeated admissions by Robinson.
“So he admitted this on multiple occasions in multiple ways. So it’s difficult to imagine how this results in anything other than a conviction,” Lee continued.
“We will stay tuned on that front. The prosecution has done a great job and Judge Graf, while being very, very thorough, made the right decision to admit this evidence today,” he said.
Preliminary hearings in Robinson’s case continued Thursday, July 9. Robinson is charged with murdering Kirk, who was fatally shot on Sept. 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University during a debate event.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, meaning Robinson could face capital punishment if he is convicted at trial.
In addition to key motions from both the prosecution and the defense, the testimony from witnesses has also included some surprises.
That includes statements made to the court by Lance Twiggs, the former trans lover of murder suspect Tyler Robinson.
During Thursday’s preliminary hearing, prosecutors played portions of a recorded interview with Twiggs.
The interview, conducted in April 2026 under a grant of use immunity, focused on events following the Sept. 10, 2025, fatal shooting of Kirk at Utah Valley University.
According to the recording, Twiggs described Robinson’s return to their shared apartment in St. George, Utah, the morning after the shooting, recounting statements Robinson allegedly made about the incident as well as his behavior and actions in the hours that followed.
Twiggs testified that Robinson left their shared apartment unusually early on the morning of Sept. 10, departing around 4 or 5 a.m. after saying he had a long drive to an electrician job.
According to Twiggs, the two did not communicate again until late that night, when Robinson sent him a text message instructing him to look underneath his keyboard.
A note there read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”
More text messages from Robinson that evening referenced targeting Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred” and added that “some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
