ABC News correspondent Matt Gutman has been humiliated into issuing a groveling apology after referring to the “touching” love notes exchanged between Charlie Kirk’s cold-blooded assassin and his roommate during a horrific murder that shocked the nation.
Only after a torrent of backlash did Gutman issue a mealy-mouthed apology, claiming he “deeply regrets” his words.
The Gateway Pundit reported that Utah authorities on Tuesday released the full text exchange between Tyler Robinson and his transgender lover, Lance Twiggs.
Gutman gushed about the suspect’s “intimate” text messages to his transitioning roommate, calling them “very touching” and painting a picture of some tragic romance amid the bloodshed.
It was the kind of twisted commentary that exposes the deep rot in mainstream media, where sympathy for murderers trumps justice for victims.
Gutman: We have seen an alleged murder with such specific text messages about the alleged murder weapon—where it was hidden, how it was placed, what was on it. But it was also very touching in a way that I think many of us didn’t expect. It was a very intimate portrait of this relationship between the suspect’s roommate and the suspect himself, with him repeatedly calling his roommate, who was transitioning, “my love,” and saying, “I want to protect you, my love.” So, it was this duality of someone who, the attorney said, not only jeopardized the life of Charlie Kirk and the crowd, but did so in front of children—which is one of the aggravating circumstances of this case. And, on the other hand, he was speaking so lovingly about his partner.
Gutman doubled down just ten minutes later, insisting the texts revealed a “heartbreaking duality” and a “very human experience.”
“It’s heartbreaking on so many levels, Kiera. Obviously, Charlie Kirk was murdered brutally in front of a crowd of thousands of people who watched him being shot through the neck and then essentially bleed out in front of them. I think one of the things that the attorney here made a very fine point about is that a lot of these charges—seven charges—were aggravated because children were present.
Children witnessed this. Children were put in harm’s way. That was something that, obviously, is aggravating here. That’s one of the reasons that the suspect, in addition to the alleged murder being political in nature, is facing the death penalty. They’re going for the death penalty.
On the other hand, there is this duality: a portrait of a very human person, a very human experience, from this entire family. As you mentioned, the mother essentially discovered that it was her son who had done this—the kid who had got a 34 out of 36 on the ACTs, who had a 4.0, who got a full ride to college here. That kid was the one who allegedly perpetrated this. She saw those pictures and identified him, essentially.
Then those text messages. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a press conference in which we’ve read text messages that are, a) so fulsome, so robust, so apparently, allegedly self-incriminating, and yet, on the other hand, so touching—with the suspect reaching out to his roommate, who is allegedly his boyfriend, who we understand was identified as male at birth but now identifies as female. And the terminology he used—he was trying to protect him. He kept calling him “my love.” My reason for doing this is to protect you. But also, he was asking him to delete the messages and not speak to law enforcement. So there’s this heartbreaking duality that we’re seeing play out very tragically.”
The blowback was immediate. Americans were outraged that, rather than condemning the politically motivated slaughter of a conservative leader, Gutman and ABC chose to elevate the murderer’s “romantic” text messages.
By Wednesday morning, Gutman was FORCED to issue a statement walking back 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.
I deeply regret that my words did not make that clear. 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.”
2. I deeply regret that my words did not make that clear.
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 Gutman (@mattgutmanABC) September 17, 2025
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