ABC News Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman has issued a public apology after facing widespread criticism for describing text messages between Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin and his romantic partner as “very touching” during live coverage on September 16, 2025.
The controversy erupted following Gutman’s reporting from a press conference in Utah where prosecutors revealed text messages between Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of killing the conservative activist, and his transgender roommate Lance Twiggs. Robinson was formally charged with aggravated murder and six other charges, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty.
During the live broadcast, Gutman characterized the messages as presenting a very intimate portrait of the relationship between Robinson and his roommate, noting how Robinson repeatedly referred to his partner as “my love” and expressed wanting to protect him. The reporter emphasized what he described as a duality between someone who allegedly committed murder in front of children and spoke lovingly about his partner.
In the text exchanges revealed by prosecutors, Robinson allegedly confessed to the killing and provided details about hiding his rifle and planning the attack. The messages showed Robinson telling his roommate he hoped to keep the secret until he died of old age and apologizing for involving him. Robinson also instructed Twiggs to delete their conversations and remain silent if questioned by law enforcement.
The comments sparked immediate backlash across social media platforms, with political figures and media personalities condemning Gutman’s characterization. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized the reporting as representative of legacy media, while Senator Jim Banks of Indiana expressed shock at the remarks. Conservative commentator Meghan McCain questioned whether everyone at ABC had lost their minds, and Fox News host Will Cain described the coverage as fundamentally broken.
Numerous social media users called for Gutman’s termination from the network, with posts demanding his firing accumulating thousands of likes. One netizen wrote that Gutman should be fired for reporting to the nation that the assassin’s words were touching, describing the comments as insensitive and hurtful during a time of national grieving.
On September 17, 2025, Gutman posted an apology on social media platform X, acknowledging that his words failed to clearly convey his intended message. He explained that he was attempting to underscore the jarring contrast between the cold-blooded assassination of Kirk, whom he described as a man dedicated to public dialogue, and the personal texts read during the press conference. Gutman stated: “I deeply regret that my words did not make that clear.”
The apology continued with Gutman unequivocally condemning the crime and expressing sympathy for Kirk’s family, witnesses at Utah Valley University, and the millions of people Kirk inspired. He emphasized that there should be zero doubt about his condemnation of the horrific assassination.
This incident marks another controversial moment for Gutman, who was previously suspended by ABC News in 2020 for making inaccurate comments following Kobe Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash. The network has not responded to requests for comment regarding potential disciplinary action against the correspondent.
The Kirk assassination has resulted in several media personalities losing their positions. MSNBC fired political analyst Matthew Dowd after he suggested Kirk’s rhetoric contributed to his own murder, while Washington Post opinion columnist Karen Attiah was reportedly dismissed for posting about racial double standards following the killing. Glen Turf, a senior official at Miami Country Day School, resigned after making insensitive comments about Kirk’s death on Instagram.
Robinson, who lived with Twiggs in a romantic relationship, was described by prosecutors as a 4.0 student who scored 34 on his ACT and received a full scholarship to Utah Valley University. His mother reportedly discovered that her son was Kirk’s alleged killer through the investigation process.
Kirk was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The incident occurred in front of thousands of attendees, including children, which prosecutors cited as an aggravating circumstance in their case seeking capital punishment for Robinson.
