{"id":2626344,"date":"2026-07-07T21:46:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T01:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-day-2\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T21:47:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T01:47:50","slug":"heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-day-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-day-2\/","title":{"rendered":"What You Need To Know About The Kirk Assassination Trial, Day 2"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fheres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-day-2%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2626344&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The second day of preliminary hearings in the trial of Tyler Robinson, accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, presented critically important evidence, including videos of Robinson\u2019s movements before, during, and after the shooting. Prosecutors advanced efforts to establish a victim-targeting enhancement on the capital murder charge, though this has not yet been officially admitted. The proceedings involved contesting the admissibility of certain video footage,with the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >judge ultimately allowing unaltered raw footage<\/a> to be shown. Key witnesses included law enforcement and forensic experts, who testified about robinson\u2019s DNA evidence on a rifle and tools found on the scene. The defense challenged the forensic methods and the relevance of certain testimonies, such as statements linking Robinson\u2019s motives to political beliefs and his association with TPUSA. Additionally, the court evaluated the significance of videos showing Robinson visiting the campus multiple times, including footage suggesting he carried a rifle and possibly fired shots from the roof. The hearing also covered media access issues and the potential impact of ideological testimony on the case&#8217;s outcome.the court proceedings are focused on establishing Robinson\u2019s movements, mental state, and the evidentiary basis for the charges, as both sides prepare for a complex trial ahead.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The second day of preliminary hearings for the trial of Charlie Kirk\u2019s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, saw the introduction of some of the most consequential evidence yet, including video evidence of what appear to be Robinson\u2019s movements before, during, and after the shooting.<\/p>\n<p>Utah state prosecutors were also able to make major headway in establishing the basis for a victim-targeting enhancement on the capital murder charge against Robinson \u2014 though the testimony presented has not been officially admitted by the court just yet.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>STATE attorney Ryan McBRIDE opened the hearing asking that the ROBINSON defense stop objecting to every single exhibit presented before the court.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey filed their standing objection throughout the proceeding. They have continued to make objections. At this point, further\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Breccan F. Thies (@BreccanFThies) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2074514247921324156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 7, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Like <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/07\/06\/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-charlie-kirk-assassination-trial-day-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Monday\u2019s hearings<\/a>, Tuesday\u2019s hearings saw the introduction of new people whose roles readers must be familiar with if they are to understand the investigation, fact pattern, and trial.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Personne<\/strong>l<\/h2>\n<h4><strong>State of Utah<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/atty.utahcounty.gov\/cms\/uploads\/Ryan_Mc_Bride_bio_38571b0985.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ryan McBride<\/a>, General Crimes Division Chief, Utah County Attorney\u2019s Office. According to his bio, McBride is \u201ca seasoned career prosecutor with over two decades of experience handling some of Utah\u2019s most complex and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heres-the-demographic-makeup-of-the-jury-for-the-kyle-rittenhouse-trial\/\" title=\"Here\u2019s The Demographic Makeup Of The Jury For The Kyle Rittenhouse ...\">high-profile criminal cases<\/a>. He currently serves in the Utah County Attorney\u2019s Office, where he has built a reputation for his meticulous trial preparation, legal expertise, and unwavering commitment to justice \u2014 particularly in cases involving homicide, sexual violence, and other violent crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Robinson Defense<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courttv.com\/news\/lyle-menendezs-trial-attorney-added-to-tyler-robinsons-defense-team\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Michael Burt<\/a>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/president-trump-please-pardon-jon-woods-a-victim-of-process-crimes-like-michael-flynn\/\" title=\"President Trump, Please Pardon Jon Woods, a Victim of Process Crimes Like Michael Flynn\">criminal defense attorney<\/a> who has defended several high-profile defendants, including Lyle Menendez, one of the Menendez brothers, who were convicted in the 1989 killing of their parents. Burt\u2019s 1993 defense of Menendez ended in a mistrial.<\/p>\n<p>Burt was also an attorney for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics pipe bomber, Eric Robert Rudolph, who killed one and injured more than 100 others, and Richard Ramirez, \u201cthe serial killer known as the Night Stalker, who murdered at least 13 people in the 1980s,\u201d as noted by Court TV.<\/p>\n<p>Burt also argued some of the First Amendment issues for Robinson\u2019s defense, regarding media access to certain exhibits.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Media<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>David Reymann is an attorney representing the interests of the news media. The media is not a party to the case, but has an interest in certain aspects. While Judge Tony Graf has allowed quite a bit of transparency with regard to the media, Reymann has argued that cameras should be able to capture more of the exhibits than has been allowed in some cases.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Witnesses<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li>State witness 3: Jennifer Faumuina, a sergeant at the Utah Department of Public Safety\u2019s State Bureau of Investigation. She is the team lead for the evidence response team.<\/li>\n<li>Defense witness: Amanda Bakker, a 10-year veteran forensic examiner in the DNA casework unit at the FBI, headquartered in Quantico, Virginia.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>ROBINSON is facing 10 charges, including aggravated murder, which is a capital offense.<\/p>\n<p>He also faces first degree felony discharge of a firearm causing injury, two counts of second degree felony obstruction of justice, two counts of third degree felony witness tampering, and\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Breccan F. Thies (@BreccanFThies) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2074511128940425398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 7, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Day two started off where day one ended, with state prosecutors trying to admit an exhibit of a compilation of videos showing a man alleged to be Robinson entering and leaving campus four times throughout Sept. 10, the day Kirk was assassinated, and the early morning of Sept. 11.<\/p>\n<p>While Graf decided that the initial video offered by prosecutors was inadmissible due to alterations made, such as highlighting, zooming, and red circles directing a viewer to focus on certain aspects of the video, prosecutors were able to find the raw footage that the judge then accepted and allowed to be broadcast to the news media.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors then tried to re-admit the initial, altered video into evidence, which Graf allowed, but he declined to allow the news media to view it.<\/p>\n<p>Robinson\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2074521524615233905?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">alleged movements<\/a> on campus show him coming and going twice in the morning of the shooting. The first video shows him parking a silver Dodge Challenger, which Utah Department of Public Safety Agent David Hull testified belonged to Robinson, and moving through a parking garage. According to Hull, Robinson made contact with Turning Point USA representatives on this first visit to campus on Sept. 10.<\/p>\n<p>The second video shows the man alleged to be Robinson entering campus on foot, where Hull said Robinson then ate Chick-fil-A around 11 a.m.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>The video compilation (exhibit 12.4) of Tyler Robinson visiting UVU campus four times on 9\/10 (the last visit stretching into the early morning hours of 9\/11) will be submitted as evidence and broadcast to the media.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the video.<\/p>\n<p>When you watch it, you&#8217;ll understand why\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/niPw0Nbcdj\">pic.twitter.com\/niPw0Nbcdj<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AndrewKolvet\/status\/2074524882994450715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 7, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The third video shows the man alleged to be Robinson coming to campus, now with a \u201climp.\u201d While not directly asserted by prosecutors, that \u201climp\u201d is implied to be caused by a concealed rifle in Robinson\u2019s pants.<\/p>\n<p>The man is shown going to the Losee Center building, where witnesses on Monday said they found a \u201csniper pad\u201d in the gravel on the roof. The man can be seen lying \u201cprone\u201d during the time of the shooting and leaving seconds after shots were fired, though the video does not show exactly who fired the shots. Hull testified that the shots were fired while the individual was on the roof, according to the timeline, and that the person on the roof is, in fact, Robinson.<\/p>\n<p>The man alleged to be Robinson can then be seen jumping off the roof with a long, rifle-like object in his hand concealed by a cloth. The individual no longer has a limp.<\/p>\n<p>In a fourth video, a man alleged to be Robinson can be seen returning to campus just past midnight. TPUSA\u2019s Andrew Kolvet <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AndrewKolvet\/status\/2074568223236972805?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suggested<\/a> that his return to campus is in connection with a message from Robinson saying he was returning to the scene to retrieve his rifle \u201cunseen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After Graf allowed these videos to be admitted over the objections of Robinson\u2019s attorneys, the defense launched its single most intense argument for rejecting an exhibit at the testimony of Pastor David Engelhardt, a friend of Kirk\u2019s who also serves on the board of TPUSA.<\/p>\n<p>That written testimony <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2074565862141444556?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">detailed<\/a> the political and religious beliefs and motivations of TPUSA and Kirk, including beliefs about transgender ideology, and seems to be used to develop an inextricable link between Kirk\u2019s beliefs and the motivations of Robinson in allegedly assassinating him. State prosecutors seemed to be introducing Engelhardt\u2019s testimony to establish the groundwork for a \u201cvictim targeting enhancement\u201d on the capital murder charge.<\/p>\n<p>Robinson attorney Richard Novak <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2074554752449253669?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">objected<\/a> to its inclusion, however, making a long argument about its relevancy, stating it might \u201cconfuse\u201d a jury pool into thinking this case was about religion and not murder. In order to justify the enhancement, Novak argued, the state would have to show evidence of Robinson\u2019s state of mind to find a motive to allegedly murder Kirk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI understand in today\u2019s world that there is a crossover between religion and politics,\u201d Novak said. \u201cI think we can all acknowledge that, but the legislature and the information here are focused on political expression, so I\u2019m concerned that [affidavit] statement of Mr. Engelhardt goes far beyond the scope of what would be admissible if the state has it to prove that Mr. Robinson targeted Mr. Kirk because of Mr. Robinson\u2019s belief or perception concerning Mr. Kirk\u2019s political expression.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Exhibits linking Robinson\u2019s alleged state of mind and ideology to the beliefs of TPUSA were not yet entered, and based on Novak\u2019s arguments, Graf only \u201cprovisionally\u201d allowed the testimony until it can be viewed in the context of the rest of the relevant information. Consequently, the testimony was not published to the court or the media \u2014 and whether it will be fully allowed and published will be determined at a later time.<\/p>\n<p>State prosecutors presented Faumuina to <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2074586262795616668?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">establish<\/a> the forensic fact that law enforcement found both Robinson\u2019s DNA and the DNA of Lance Twiggs (Robinson\u2019s roommate and apparent trans-identifying lover) on a towel wrapped around a rifle, as well as on a screwdriver located on the roof of the building.<\/p>\n<p>Robinson defense attorney Michael Burt spent hours attempting to discredit the forensic analysis done by the FBI, impugning the work of their witness, Bakker. Bakker initially found that there may have been DNA from three people on some samples, but later said it was only from two.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">BAKKER said she changed the determination from 3 to 2 after TWIGGS submitted an \u201celimination sample\u201d that provided enough DNA evidence to leave \u201cnothing left for a third individual to be compared to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Breccan F. Thies (@BreccanFThies) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2074606675785322584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 7, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Bakker did <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BreccanFThies\/status\/2074630122196304263?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">say<\/a>, however, that DNA contributors for the towel aligned 5 percent with Twiggs and 95 percent with Robinson. The DNA on the screwdriver aligned 11 percent with Twiggs and 89 percent with Robinson.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Breccan F. Thies is the White House correspondent for The Federalist. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. As an investigative journalist, he previously covered education and culture issues for the Washington Examiner and Breitbart News. He holds a degree from the University of Virginia and is a 2022 Claremont Institute Publius Fellow. You can follow him on X: @BreccanFThies.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Day 2 of Kirk trial: key evidence, videos, and forensic findings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":2626345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-07-202510.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[35176,82317,33118,35049],"class_list":["post-2626344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-day-2","tag-kirk-assassination-trial","tag-legal-proceedings","tag-political-violence"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-07-202510.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2626344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/179"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2626344"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2626344\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2626348,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2626344\/revisions\/2626348"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2626345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2626344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2626344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2626344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}