Tyler Robinson’s defense attorney sparked outrage during a key pretrial hearing after taking a swipe at Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, over her public push for transparency in the murder case.
The remark came as the Kirk family urged the court to release unredacted versions of evidence, testimony and surveillance footage submitted by prosecutors in the case against Robinson, the 23-year-old accused of assassinating Kirk at Utah Valley University.
Robinson’s attorney, Michael Burt, argued that some evidence should remain out of public view to avoid tainting a potential jury pool.
He then aimed directly at Erika Kirk and her previous public remarks about her husband’s September 2025 killing.
‘I want to point out to the court, Ms. Kirk has been very adept at holding press conferences in which she has revealed evidence,’ he said.
‘She has represented that the state is her attorney… She is perfectly free to go out and hold press conferences and announce to the world what they think the evidence is.’
The comment quickly drew backlash, with critics accusing Burt of taking a needless shot at a grieving widow while defending the man charged in her husband’s killing.
Kirk’s family attorney condemned Burt’s argument as a ‘complete distortion of reality’.
Online, the moment was blasted as ‘absolutely outrageous.’
The courtroom clash came just hours after Erika Kirk was heard crying during the fourth day of Robinson’s preliminary hearing.
Do you know WHY Tyler Robinson’s defense attorney is targeting Erika Kirk in court???
They are desperately hunting for ANY excuse to manufacture a mistrial for the man accused of assassinating her husband.
These lawyers are playing dirty games, I’m just hoping the judge sees…— Clerpatriot (@clerpatriot) July 9, 2026
Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf is weighing whether prosecutors have enough evidence to send Robinson to trial on aggravated murder and other charges.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.
The state has spent the week presenting evidence it says ties Robinson to the assassination, including surveillance footage, DNA evidence, alleged confessions and testimony involving his former roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs.
Prosecutors have said DNA was found on a towel wrapped around the suspected murder weapon.
They have also presented evidence they say tracks Robinson’s movements across the Utah Valley University campus before and after Kirk was shot.
Earlier in the hearing, prosecutors played recordings in which Twiggs discussed Robinson’s alleged admissions after the killing.
Robinson’s defense has challenged key pieces of the state’s case, including forensic evidence and the public release of materials that could shape future jurors’ views before trial.
But Burt’s remark about Erika Kirk shifted attention from legal strategy to courtroom optics.
For supporters of the Kirk family, it was a nasty jab at a widow who has repeatedly called for sunlight in the case that shattered her family and rocked the conservative movement.
For Robinson’s defense, it was part of a broader argument that public statements and released evidence could make a fair trial harder to secure.
The judge is expected to decide in September whether the case will move forward to trial.
Until then, the courtroom fight over evidence, publicity and transparency is only getting uglier.
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