Authorities and multiple reports indicate that the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk was aligned with left-leaning ideology, contradicting a claim by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that the shooter was part of the MAGA movement.

Charlie Kirk twitted about Jimmy Kimmel in 2017
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Tyler Robinson, 22, has been described by Utah officials and media interviews as holding beliefs on the political left. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told the Wall Street Journal that Robinson was "deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology." Investigators and local reporting also highlighted Robinson's close relationship with a partner who was transitioning and identified with progressive causes, and noted social and political views more commonly associated with the left.

The characterization stands in contrast to comments Kimmel made during his Sept. 15 monologue on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" In the monologue, Kimmel said efforts were underway to portray the suspect as "anything other than one of them," referring to the MAGA movement, and asserted that the shooter had ties to that movement. Following public and industry pushback, two major broadcast groups, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Inc., announced they would pull Kimmel's program from their ABC affiliates. ABC/Disney subsequently removed the show from its schedule "indefinitely."

Local station groups said the host's remarks were inappropriate and misleading in light of the information available about the accused. Nexstar said it "strongly objects" to Kimmel's remarks and would replace the show with other programming. Sinclair's statement called the comments "deeply insensitive" and urged Kimmel to apologize to the Kirk family and make a meaningful donation to them and to Turning Point USA.

The Federal Communications Commission drew scrutiny as well. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr criticized Kimmel's remarks on a podcast and suggested the agency could consider the comments as an intentional effort to mislead the public.

Robinson was arrested after authorities say he shot Kirk, 31, from a rooftop while Kirk was participating in a campus debate at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Prosecutors have charged Robinson with murder; details of the motive remain a focus of law enforcement and court filings. In an alleged text message reported by media outlets, Robinson reportedly wrote, "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out," though those reports have not been tested in a trial setting.

Kimmel and ABC did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. Spokespeople for Robinson's defense and for the Kirk family declined to comment beyond court filings and public statements already made.

The episode has intensified scrutiny of how public figures discuss ongoing criminal cases and the potential consequences when those statements conflict with emerging factual accounts. Local and national media coverage continues to trace Robinson's background and political views as part of the broader investigation into the killing.

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