In the fallout after Utah prosecutors filed charges against 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, 2025, users across multiple platforms were skeptical that supposed text messages between Robinson and his alleged partner were authentic.
These alleged messages contained an explicit confession to the shooting by Robinson, in which he reportedly detailed leaving a rifle behind and engraving bullet casings, revealed possible motives for the killing and shared other key details in the case.
Users claimed that the messages – which Utah prosecutors made public in an indictment against Robinson – appeared as though they were government-fabricated. We wrote to the Utah County Attorney's Office seeking context or comment regarding the conspiracy theory, and did not immediately hear back. We will update this story if we receive a response.
Below, we break down these claims as well as available evidence.
What did the texts say, and why are people speculating?
The alleged text exchanges between Robinson and his purported partner, whom authorities interviewed and said was fully cooperative, are featured on Page 8 and 9 of the indictment, as follows:
Although the indictment referred to the unnamed, alleged partner as "the roommate," authorities also claimed Robinson and this person were also in a romantic relationship as evidenced by Robinson's use of "love" and "my love" in the text exchange. The alleged texts (in direct quotes below) contained incriminating details that aligned with authorities' assessment of the killing, such as:
- An explicit confession to the killing by Robinson in which he allegedly said, "I am, I'm sorry," when his alleged partner asked if he'd been the one to kill Kirk.
- Possible motives for killing Kirk – Robinson allegedly wrote: "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out."
- Details about the gun Robinson allegedly used to kill Kirk: "Only thing I left was the rifle wrapped in a towel" and "I'm wishing I had circled back and grabbed it as soon as I got to my vehicle. … I'm worried what my old man would do if I didn't bring back grandpas rifle."
- An admission by Robinson that he had engraved bullets – "Remember how I was engraving bullets?" he allegedly asked his purported partner.
Some users claimed in highly circulated posts that they had asked ChatGPT, or even their own children, whether the texts sounded authentic (many claimed that no 22-year-old texts like Robinson allegedly did). These assessments were informal, anecdotal and not based on any real evidence.
Other suspicions consistent across several posts included:
- Robinson allegedly told his purported partner that his dad "has been pretty diehard maga" since U.S. President Donald Trump entered office. Given reports that Robinson's alleged partner was transgender, users speculated as to why the alleged partner did not already know the father's conservative leanings.
- The exchange seemed scripted as a way to absolve Robinson's alleged partner of association with the shooting.
Conservative commentators Candace Owens and Steve Bannon also weighed in on the theories.
What does the evidence say?
These claims that the government fabricated texts between Robinson and his alleged partner were purely conspiratorial. There was no evidence, as of this writing, to corroborate these suspicions.
Snopes has a long history of addressing such theories – often involving U.S. government figures and agencies.
It is also important to note that nothing in this case had yet been tested in a court, as Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray pointed out during the public reading of the charges against Robinson in a Sept. 16 news conference (minute 25:58):
Perhaps most importantly, under our constitution, the accused is presumed innocent until we, the state, prove to an impartial jury of defendant's peers his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. That jury cannot rely on our allegations, on what they hear in the news, or on what they hear from a public official. The jury is the sole trier of fact and they will ultimately determine those facts based on evidence a trial judge has determined is admissible.
In sum ...
The claims that the U.S. government fabricated texts between Robinson and his alleged partner are purely conspiratorial. Just as there was no evidence that these purported texts were fake, all charges made against Robinson had yet to be proven in a court.
Robinson's next court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 29.