As RedState reported, President Trump revealed "with a high degree of certainty" that the FBI had apprehended the assassin of TPUSA co-founder and CEO Charlie Kirk. My colleague Rusty Weiss wrote about Trump's surprise update on these developments during a Friday appearance on "Fox & Friends."
Trump went on to say he didn't want to delve too deeply into the details, but indicated that he had heard someone close to the suspect was responsible for the breakthrough.
“Essentially, somebody who was very close to him turned him in," Trump said. "And that happens when you have some of those good shots (images of the suspect). Somebody is going to say - whether it's a parent or whatever, I'd rather not say."
The president suggested an announcement from authorities providing more information would be forthcoming.
Trump expanded on the "parent" aspect further, indicating that someone "involved with law enforcement" and "a person of faith, a minister," went to the father and went to a U.S. Marshal, who was involved in the crucial development.
Read it Here: Breaking: Charlie Kirk Assassination Suspect in Custody, Trump Reports: ‘Hope He Gets the Death Penalty’
Tyler Robinson from Utah is the suspect in custody. Fox News' reporting confirmed that the suspect was walked into a St. George, UT police station by a law enforcement member and family members.
The early Friday press conference in Orem, Utah, was coordinated by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, FBI Director Kash Patel, Sheriff Mike Smith, Utah DPS Commissioner Bo Mason, Lieutenant Gov. Deidre Henderson, and FBI Utah Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls.
Cox opened with these remarks:
Good morning ladies and gentleman. We got him. On the evening of September 11, a family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend, who contacted the Washington County Sheriff's office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident. This information was relayed to the Utah County Sheriff's office and scene investigators at Utah Valley University.
Cox further reported that the suspect Robinson was identified through video footage in a gray Dodge Challenger, arriving on the Utah Valley campus. Cox outlined that the footage showed him in the clothes shown in the released photographs. Cox reported from interviews with family members that "Robinson had become more political in recent years," and that the conversation with a family member involved talk of Charlie Kirk being "full of hate," and spreading "hate." The family member also confirmed that Robinson drove a gray Dodge Challenger.
The pivotal information Cox revealed was an interview with a person identified as Robinson's roommate, who showed messages from Robinson on the platform Discord, which consisted of various messages with content of Robinson coordinating with another user the lending of a rifle, the engravings on the bullets, and then mention of how he had changed outfits. Several of the engravings had phrases that were difficult to understand to the uninitiated, but some of the engravings on unspent bullet casings read: "Hey, Fascist!" "Catch!", and "If You Read This, You are Gay, LMAO."
Cox affirmed:
We are indebted to law enforcement across the state who has worked seamlessly together: local law enforcement, state law enforcement, and our federal partners with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We are grateful for everyone who worked together in a short amount of time to find this person and to bring justice.
Cox also thanked the public who have been engaged in reviewing videos, offering tips, and he also thanked "the family members of Tyler Robinson who did the right thing in this case, and were able to bring him in to law enforcement, as well."
Cox concluded his opening remarks:
I especially want to thank the family of Charlie Kirk. Erica, Charlie's parents, his children. I want us to be thinking of them, as we bring justice to this case. We will be working very closely with them as we move through this process.
This is a very sad day, again, for our country, a terrible day for the state Utah. But I am grateful that at this moment we have an opportunity to bring closure to this very dark chapter in our nation's history.
FBI Deputy Director Kash Patel outlined the details of the timeline of the case and gave further information on how the suspect was apprehended.
Patel opened, "This is what happens when you let good cops be cops. The FBI and our partners are proud to stand here today, together, to bring justice to the family of Charlie Kirk and to honor his memory."
Patel expressed gratitude to President Trump and the entire White House for the resources to help work this case, and "to bring this sort of justice at this sort of speed. In 33 hours, we have made historic progress for Charlie," Patel said.
Patel thanked Gov. Spencer Cox and his partnership, along with the state and local authorities that assisted.
In unfolding the timeline, Patel revealed that the FBI immediately launched fixed-wing assets and transported evidence from Utah to the East Coast offices for analysis. Forensic evidence has been evaluated, but Patel made it known that evidence is still being gathered and processed. At Patel's direction, the photo and video evidence was released, including the new images shown in a brief press conference the evening of September 11. That night, the suspect Robinson was apprehended.
In less than 36 hours, 33 to be precise, thanks to the full weight of the federal government, and leading out with the partners here in the state of Utah and Gov. Cox, the suspect was apprehended in historic time period. And I want to highlight what Gov. Cox said, this would not be possible without you, the media, and you the public. That's why we went so public, so fast, and were so transparent, and we are committed to that transparency.
Patel thanked all the law enforcement personnel across the states, from those on the ground to those in the offices. Patel ended with, "Lastly, to my friend Charlie Kirk. Rest now, brother, we have the watch. And I will see you in Valhalla."
Sheriff Mike Smith came to the podium and expressed gratitude to local, regional, and national law enforcement partners who played a small and large part in the investigation.
Smith said:
It has been a vast, complicated, and a very, very fast-paced investigation. [...] It has been very taxing. It has been so impressive, speaking on behalf of the local law enforcement, to see he cooperation we have seen in this type of case.
Smith also thanked the public, "who turned to prayers and who turned to positiveness for us. I would like to thank them on behalf of the law enforcement community because we needed those prayers. That's what we needed to get through this; we needed your support, and you gave it to us."
Patel returned briefly to the podium to give a special thanks to the attorney general and the Department of Justice for their "unwavering support and commitment to justice, which is showing through here."
Gov. Cox closed the presser with a powerful statement. He said, "Over the last 48 hours, I have been as angry as I have ever been. As sad as I have ever been. When I was pushed to the brink, it is actually Charlie's words that pulled me back." Cox referenced the particular words of Charlie Kirk that helped him to stay focused and allay anger. Then Cox spoke to the gravity and the depth of this moment and why it needed to be addressed.
Political violence, [...] is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals. This cuts to the very foundation of who we are, of who we have been, and who we could be in better times.
To my young friends out there: You are inheriting a country where politics feels like rage. It feels like rage is the only option. But through those words we have a reminder that we can choose a different path. Your generation has an opportunity to build a culture that is very different than what we are suffering through right now. Not by pretending differences don't matter, but by embracing our differences and having those hard conversations. I think we need moral clarity right now... I hear all the time, "Words are violence." But words are not Violence, Violence is violence.
Cox encouraged all Americans that we have an opportunity to be different and act differently.
That's the problem with political violence. It metastasizes. Because we can always point the finger at the other side, but at some point we have to find an off-ramp, or it will get much, much worse. But you see, these are choices we can make. History will dictate if this is a turning point for our country. But every single one of us gets to choose if this is a turning point for us. We get to make decisions. We have our agency! And I desperately call on every American: Republican, Democrat, Liberal, Progressive, Conservative, MAGA, all of us to please, please, please, follow what Charlie taught me.
Cox ended his remarks and took questions from the press.
Read More: FBI Releases New Video of Kirk's Shooter, Governor Announces He's Seeking Death Penalty
Remembering Charlie Kirk: Family Videos Deliver an Emotional Gut Punch
Editor's Note: This article was updated post-publication to correct a quote from Gov. Cox.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy RedState’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use the promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member