Fact Check: Is the viral photo of Tyler Robinson wearing a Trump shirt real?

OREM, UTAH: A viral image shows Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of killing conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk, wearing a Donald Trump campaign T-shirt.

Social media users have shared the image claiming the suspect was a supporter of the president, so let's find out if there's any truth to it. 

Claim: Tyler Robinson was photographed in a Trump shirt

The picture that spread online depicted Tyler Robinson in a bright red tee with Trump’s name across the chest, suggesting he openly supported the president. One viral post on X (formerly Twitter) from September 13 said, “So we’re just gonna ignore he was a Trump supporter?”

The image traveled quickly across X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok in the days after Robinson’s September 11 arrest, which ended a 33-hour manhunt following Kirk’s killing.

Fact Check: Tyler Robinson wore a plain maroon shirt, not a Trump shirt

According to AFP, the original photo came from Tyler Robinson’s mother’s now-deleted Facebook page. He had been wearing a plain maroon shirt, not MAGA-themed clothing.

Reverse image searches confirmed the alteration, and outlets including ABC News and the Daily Mail published the unedited version. Other photos from that day also showed him in the same maroon tee inside the same dorm room.

Who is Tyler Robinson?

Neighbors and acquaintances described Tyler Robinson to AFP as the oldest of three Mormon boys raised in a Republican household. He briefly attended Utah State University before switching to an electrical apprentice program at a technical college.

Despite his upbringing, Robinson himself did not appear politically engaged. Utah voter records list him as unaffiliated, and he did not vote in 2024. Family photos posted on his mother’s Facebook page, now scrubbed, showed them posing with firearms. In a 2017 Halloween post, his mother captioned his look as a “#trumpcostume.”

Utah Governor Spencer Cox later suggested Robinson leaned toward “leftist ideology.” He further revealed Robinson had been romantically involved with a transgender roommate and that investigators had not determined a motive.

Cox added that bullet casings at the scene carried inscriptions referencing gaming culture and a World War II antifascist anthem, including one cartridge etched with the words, “Hey, fascist! Catch!”

Charlie Kirk was killed during a Utah Valley University event

On September 10, Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA and a close ally of Donald Trump, was addressing a crowd of 3,000 at Utah Valley University in Orem.

The event, billed as the launch of his “American Comeback Tour,” turned deadly during a Q&A session when a single rifle shot from the rooftop of the Losee Center struck Kirk in the neck. A horrifying video showed him collapsing on stage as the audience screamed. He was rushed to Timpanogos Regional Hospital, where he died soon after.

Investigators later found a bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near campus. DNA on the towel and a screwdriver discovered at the rooftop sniper’s nest both matched Robinson.

The FBI circulated his photo nationwide, and a family member recognized him, leading to his capture. On September 11, police arrested Robinson and booked him into Utah County Jail. He now faces charges including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.