What You Need To Know About The Kirk Assassination Trial 58%

By Breccan F. Thies55%

7/9/2026, 11:19:09 PM

BS Summary: This article contains 36 faulty reasoning types, including Indoctrination, Appeal to Emotion, and Negativity Bias, with Appeal to Authority as the most egregious example at 27.3% saturation with 424 hits. Analysis detected 3,108 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,552 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 54.3% and a BS Rank of 58% (9,393 of 21,887 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 57.10% of the article peer group.

Image Credit KSL News Utah / YouTube 
Judge Tony Graf will make a determination as to whether this case will go to trial Friday after a review of all evidence entered. 
Visit on Twitter @BreccanFThies 
Lance Twiggs, the roommate and “transgender” lover of alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson, took center stage on day four of the preliminary hearings of Robinson’s murder trial, as Judge Tony Graf allowed a redacted version of Twiggs’ interview with investigators to be played for the public. 
The day started with a motion from the Kirk family to play to the courtroom, in full, all exhibits offered by state prosecutors. 
“Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, and his grieving parents traveled to this courtroom for one reason: to be present at these proceedings and to bear witness to the evidence concerning the death of their husband and son,” the motion stated. 
“At certain points throughout the preliminary hearing, the Kirk family sat in the room while evidence was admitted but not presented for their viewing. 
They were present in body, yet denied the very thing their presence was meant to secure: their ability to meaningfully observe the preliminary hearing.” 
That motion was largely denied by Graf, who stated: 
This ruling is not intended to diminish the significance of the victim’s representative rights or concerns. 
Rather, it reflects the court’s responsibility to regulate the presentation of evidence in a manner consistent with the integrity of the proceedings and the fair trial rights implicated in this manner, the manner in which evidence is displayed remains in the court’s discretion. 
That discretion must be exercised in a manner that is appropriate and appropriately balances Mr. 
ROBINSON’s constitutional rights, Mrs. 
KIRK’s rights as a victim representative, and the court’s obligation to conduct the proceedings that are fair, orderly, and appropriately transparent. 
Transparency is an important principle, but it must be maintained in a manner consistent with the constitutional rights and protections afforded to all parties. 
The court does not make a blanket ruling as it relates to any exhibit, and as previously stated, each exhibit will be afforded its own due in weighing whether it shall be published to the courtroom, or beyond, or not. 
Like days one , two , and three , some new people were introduced on day four: 
Christopher Ballard , General Counsel/Chief of Staff, Utah County Attorney’s Office. 
According to his bio, prior to his current position, Ballard “served 22 years as an Assistant Solicitor General in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Utah Attorney General’s Office, including over three years as Deputy Division Director.” 
Defense witness Samantha Carner, a forensic firearm and toolmark examiner at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) with more than six years of experience. 
She analyzed the gun said to have been used in Kirk’s murder, the cartridges, and the bullet fragments. 
In the interview with law enforcement, Twiggs said Robinson was asking about using a Dremel tool to start engraving bullets about one month before Sept. 10, the day he allegedly shot Kirk. 
Gun and etched bullets with messages found hidden in the woods outside the UVU campus. 
"hey fascist, catch" 
"if you read this, you are gay lmao" @FDRLST pic.twitter.com/D1nxhyiYeM 
- Breccan F. 
Thies (@BreccanFThies) July 9, 2026 
Twiggs also said that Robinson was pacing and acting erratically the day after, hours before he eventually turned himself in to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. 
He said he recognized Robinson on the UVU video footage taken when an individual alleged to be Robinson was on campus around the time of the shooting. 
Full redacted TWIGGS interview allowed to be viewed by news media. 
@FDRLST 
via KSL News Utah pic.twitter.com/HhVIii1Uu3 
Along with Twiggs’ testimony and the entering of images of the .30-06 gun and cartridges into evidence, DNA evidence was also used to connect Robinson to all those pieces of evidence. 
Utah State Bureau of Investigation Sgt. 
Jennifer Faumuina found DNA evidence 1 trillion times more likely to be Robinson than anyone else on multiple parts of the gun and on cartridges. 
DNA testimony linking ROBINSON to the .30-06 rifle, per Utah SBI Sgt. 
FAUMUINA, team lead for the evidence response team. 
Swabs of stock and bolt of rifle: 
"The DNA profiles are at least 1 trillion times more likely if they originated from Tyler Robinson, Exhibit 7.1 as a… 
Graf allowed in full and published Thursday an exhibit that was only admitted provisionally earlier this week. 
This exhibit was the testimony of Pastor David Engelhardt, a friend of Kirk’s and a TPUSA board member. 
The testimony, a document, outlined the religious and political beliefs and motivations of Kirk and TPUSA. 
It reads as follows: 
1) As noted in Turning Point USA’s filings with the Internal Revenue Service, Turning Point USA is organized and operated exclusively for educational and charitable purposes in accordance with section 501(c)(3), to empower informed civic and cultural engagement grounded in American exceptionalism and a positive spirit of action. 
More specifically, Turning Point USA guides citizens through development of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation, so they can meaningfully engage in their communities to restore traditional American values like patriotism, respect for life, liberty, family, and fiscal responsibility. 
Charlie Kirk was Turning Point USA’s founder, establishing the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on June 5, 2012. 
In addition to being its founder, Charlie Kirk also served as Turning Point USA’s Chief Executive Officer and Board President from June 5, 2012, until Charlie’s murder on September 10, 2025. 
2) Charlie Kirk believed in the classical orthodox-Christian position on marriage, family, gender, and sexual being, which find their basis in various Biblical scriptures, most explicitly described in Matthew chapter 19:4-5, where Christ taught “Have you not read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?” 
Charlie Kirk believed as all theologically-orthodox-Christians believe that from this axiom springs forth three principles: 
(1) That God determines whether a person is male or female  and that experimentation with sexual gender identity is sinful and therefore, should not be engaged in, accepted in culture, or allowed under the law. 
(2) That heterosexuality inside the confines of a marriage is the only virtuous pattern for sexuality and the concomitant creation of the family  and that all other sexual patterns are sinful and 
(3) That marriage is a covenant until death  Biblically unjustified divorce is sinful. 
3) Since its inception, Turning Point USA has hosted thousands of events like the one held at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025  with at least 200  of these events featuring Charlie Kirk as headline speaker. 
At these events, Charlie Kirk and other Turning Point USA speakers would engage attendees, most often students, in civil debate and discussion on traditional family values, orthodox-Christian views on sexuality, marriage, and gender, sex, America’s founding principles, political doctrines, foreign affairs, economics, faith and religious ideas, current events, cultural trends, and whatever else attendees wanted to discuss. 
Charlie Kirk and TPUSA’s speakers often specifically attempted to persuade attendees to follow commands rooted in orthodox-Christian and politically conservative values. 
It should also be noted that Charlie frequently requested that any attendee with an opposing opinion or view was welcome to the front of the question line and to be the first to communicate their views. 
4) David Engelhardt is a pastor and attorney. 
David was a longtime friend and counselor to Charlie Kirk in matters of law, philosophy, and faith. 
In 2021, David was appointed by Charlie Kirk to serve as a Board Director and Officer for Turning Point USA. 
David still holds these positions today. 
David is also a frequent presenter at TPUSA events on matters of faith and culture. 
This testimony is part of laying the foundation for a “victim targeting enhancement” on Robinson’s charges, supporting the contention that he specifically chose to target Kirk for his beliefs. 
Graf will make a determination as to whether this case will go to trial Friday after a review of all evidence entered. 
If it is deemed to reach a probable cause threshold, a trial will follow. 
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. 
Charlie Kirk assassination 
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New Testimony Builds Case That Charlie Kirk Was Assassinated For Christian Belief 
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Article reasoning-pattern comparisonThis article: 8.1%Breccan F. Thies: 7.4%The Federalist: 8.5%Confirmation Bias8.1%This article: 2.4%Breccan F. Thies: 1.2%The Federalist: 0.6%Anchoring Bias2.4%This article: 5.8%Breccan F. Thies: 3.3%The Federalist: 3.5%Availability Heuristic5.8%This article: 2.0%Breccan F. Thies: 1.1%The Federalist: 1.2%Representativeness Heuristic2.0%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.4%The Federalist: 0.7%Hindsight Bias0.0%This article: 5.3%Breccan F. Thies: 1.5%The Federalist: 2.3%Overconfidence Bias5.3%This article: 9.4%Breccan F. Thies: 12.5%The Federalist: 10.1%Framing Effect9.4%This article: 1.5%Breccan F. Thies: 0.5%The Federalist: 0.4%Loss Aversion1.5%This article: 4.6%Breccan F. Thies: 0.6%The Federalist: 0.6%Status Quo Bias4.6%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.0%The Federalist: 0.1%Sunk Cost Effect0.0%This article: 0.5%Breccan F. Thies: 0.8%The Federalist: 1.0%Optimism Bias0.5%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.9%The Federalist: 1.7%Pessimism Bias0.0%This article: 12.2%Breccan F. Thies: 8.2%The Federalist: 12.4%Negativity Bias12.2%This article: 2.3%Breccan F. Thies: 1.6%The Federalist: 0.9%Self-Serving Bias2.3%This article: 1.1%Breccan F. Thies: 2.3%The Federalist: 1.7%Fundamental Attribution Error1.1%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.1%The Federalist: 0.1%Actor-Observer Bias0.0%This article: 7.5%Breccan F. Thies: 3.8%The Federalist: 3.9%In-Group Bias7.5%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 1.6%The Federalist: 2.2%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias0.0%This article: 5.2%Breccan F. Thies: 2.1%The Federalist: 2.2%Halo Effect5.2%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.2%The Federalist: 0.7%Horn Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.0%The Federalist: 0.0%Dunning-Kruger Effect0.0%This article: 1.1%Breccan F. Thies: 0.8%The Federalist: 1.3%Recency Bias1.1%This article: 1.1%Breccan F. Thies: 0.3%The Federalist: 0.6%Primacy Effect1.1%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.0%The Federalist: 0.1%Blind-Spot Bias0.0%This article: 5.2%Breccan F. Thies: 2.5%The Federalist: 5.3%Ad Hominem5.2%This article: 0.8%Breccan F. Thies: 2.3%The Federalist: 2.7%Straw Man0.8%This article: 27.3%Breccan F. Thies: 8.5%The Federalist: 5.0%Appeal to Authority27.3%This article: 2.4%Breccan F. Thies: 2.0%The Federalist: 2.8%False Dilemma2.4%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 1.4%The Federalist: 2.3%Slippery Slope0.0%This article: 1.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.4%The Federalist: 0.4%Circular Reasoning1.0%This article: 0.6%Breccan F. Thies: 8.6%The Federalist: 11.4%Hasty Generalization0.6%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.8%The Federalist: 0.5%Red Herring0.0%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.2%The Federalist: 0.5%Bandwagon0.0%This article: 14.4%Breccan F. Thies: 7.9%The Federalist: 8.2%Appeal to Emotion14.4%This article: 6.6%Breccan F. Thies: 2.3%The Federalist: 3.1%Begging the Question6.6%This article: 4.3%Breccan F. Thies: 2.4%The Federalist: 2.3%Post Hoc (False Cause)4.3%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.2%The Federalist: 0.5%Tu Quoque0.0%This article: 1.2%Breccan F. Thies: 1.5%The Federalist: 1.1%Burden of Proof1.2%This article: 4.8%Breccan F. Thies: 0.4%The Federalist: 0.3%Appeal to Nature4.8%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.0%The Federalist: 0.4%Composition/Division0.0%This article: 1.7%Breccan F. Thies: 2.3%The Federalist: 2.8%Anecdotal1.7%This article: 3.3%Breccan F. Thies: 0.3%The Federalist: 0.3%No True Scotsman3.3%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 1.5%The Federalist: 1.7%Ambiguity (Equivocation)0.0%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.0%The Federalist: 0.0%Gambler’s Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.0%The Federalist: 0.1%Middle Ground0.0%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.0%The Federalist: 0.2%Personal Incredulity0.0%This article: 3.1%Breccan F. Thies: 0.2%The Federalist: 0.2%Special Pleading3.1%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.3%The Federalist: 0.8%Genetic Fallacy0.0%This article: 8.8%Breccan F. Thies: 3.3%The Federalist: 3.1%Unattributed Quote8.8%This article: 5.7%Breccan F. Thies: 2.8%The Federalist: 2.1%Quote-first Misdirection5.7%This article: 11.7%Breccan F. Thies: 9.9%The Federalist: 19.7%Biased Writer Voice11.7%This article: 18.6%Breccan F. Thies: 3.3%The Federalist: 5.2%Indoctrination18.6%This article: 0.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.2%The Federalist: 0.3%Politically Left Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 2.4%Breccan F. Thies: 11.7%The Federalist: 15.8%Politically Right Leaning Bias2.4%This article: 6.0%Breccan F. Thies: 0.9%The Federalist: 1.7%Attempt to Sell a Product or S…6.0%

1552 words analyzed.

Speakers

12speakers69%attributed speech488writer words
Voice mapSelect a segment to jump to its words
Writer's voice • 10 words • 100.0% coverageKSL News Utah • 7 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 24 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 4 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 47 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 23 words • 0.0% coverageKirk family • 42 words • 100.0% coverageKirk family • 24 words • 100.0% coverageKirk family • 24 words • 0.0% coverageTony Graf • 9 words • 0.0% coverageTony Graf • 16 words • 0.0% coverageTony Graf • 43 words • 0.0% coverageTony Graf • 15 words • 0.0% coverageTony Graf • 4 words • 0.0% coverageTony Graf • 21 words • 0.0% coverageTony Graf • 24 words • 0.0% coverageTony Graf • 40 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 17 words • 0.0% coverageUtah County Attorney’s Office • 11 words • 0.0% coverageChristopher Ballard • 37 words • 100.0% coverageSamantha Carner • 27 words • 0.0% coverageSamantha Carner • 18 words • 0.0% coverageLance Twiggs • 32 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 15 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 3 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 10 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 3 words • 0.0% coverageBreccan F. Thies • 5 words • 0.0% coverageLance Twiggs • 26 words • 0.0% coverageLance Twiggs • 27 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 11 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 1 words • 0.0% coverageKSL News Utah • 5 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 31 words • 0.0% coverageUtah State Bureau of Investigation • 6 words • 0.0% coverageJennifer Faumuina • 25 words • 0.0% coverageUtah State Bureau of Investigation • 12 words • 0.0% coverageUtah State Bureau of Investigation • 8 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 7 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 21 words • 100.0% coverageTony Graf • 17 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 18 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 4 words • 0.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 48 words • 0.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 38 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 31 words • 100.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 75 words • 100.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 15 words • 100.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 36 words • 100.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 33 words • 100.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 14 words • 100.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 39 words • 0.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 57 words • 100.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 21 words • 100.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 36 words • 100.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 8 words • 0.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 17 words • 0.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 20 words • 0.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 6 words • 0.0% coverageTurning Point USA • 15 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 29 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 22 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 14 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 2 words • 0.0% coverageBreccan F. Thies • 9 words • 0.0% coverageBreccan F. Thies • 14 words • 0.0% coverageBreccan F. Thies • 18 words • 0.0% coverageBreccan F. Thies • 17 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 7 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 3 words • 0.0% coverageUtah Valley University • 3 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 8 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 14 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 9 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 14 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 12 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 15 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 14 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 13 words • 100.0% coverage
Selected voice

Christopher Ballard

100%flagged-word coverage
37 attributed words3.5% of attributed speech74% writer coverage
0%50.0%100.0%Unattributed Quote+93.0 ptsWriter: 7.0%Christopher Ballard: 100.0%100.0%Biased Writer Voice-29.9 ptsWriter: 29.9%Christopher Ballard: 0.0%0.0%Attempt to Sell a Product -19.1 ptsWriter: 19.1%Christopher Ballard: 0.0%0.0%Quote-first Misdirection-18.2 ptsWriter: 18.2%Christopher Ballard: 0.0%0.0%Politically Right Leaning -7.6 ptsWriter: 7.6%Christopher Ballard: 0.0%0.0%

Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.

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Analysis

Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.