Charlie Kirk widow comes face-to-face with alleged killer

The widow of assassinated right-wing activist Charlie Kirk came face-to-face Monday with the man alleged to have killed him, during a court hearing in the western United States.

Erika Kirk was among those attending a preliminary hearing that will determine if there is enough evidence for 23-year-old Tyler Robinson to face trial over the September 2025 shooting on a Utah university campus.

The killing of Kirk, a right-wing luminary whose Turning Point USA organization was key to mobilizing young people to vote for President Donald Trump, sent shockwaves through America's politics and roiled debate for weeks.

Erika Kirk, who was accompanied in the Utah court by Donald Trump Jr and other high-profile figures on the right, said her husband had been "beloved."

"Every court proceeding serves as a painful reminder of his death and the loss that has irrevocably impacted our lives and the lives of his children," she wrote on social media hours before the proceedings started.

"We remain deeply grateful for the support, prayers, and kindness we have received. This outpouring has sustained us during the darkest days of our lives."

On the first day of the hearing, which is scheduled to last all week, Robinson appeared in court in handcuffs, wearing a gray suit and a dark tie. 

He has not yet indicated whether he intends to plead guilty or not.

Investigators say Robinson -- raised Mormon in a Republican household -- murdered Charlie Kirk because he could not tolerate the "hate" he preached.

Detectives say Robinson confessed to the murder in text messages sent to the transgender person with whom he shared an apartment, and with whom he was in a romantic relationship. 

Charlie Kirk was a 31-year-old Christian nationalist who played a major role in spreading disinformation about the 2020 presidential election — which Trump refuses to accept he lost.

He positioned himself as a staunch defender of the traditional family and was highly critical of the LGBT community and transgender individuals.

Erika Kirk has become a polarizing figure in the growing schism on the right of American politics, where some have accused her of exploiting her husband's death.

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© Agence France-Presse