ABC News correspondent Matt Gutman is being harshly criticized for his empathetic interpretation of text messages between accused conservative leader Charlie Kirk’s assassin Tyler Robinson and his transgender partner, the New York Post reported on Wednesday, including calls to fire him.
Gutman presented the killer’s apparent confessional texts as “intimate,” “fulsome,” and “very touching.”
Prosecutors on Tuesday revealed text messages between Robinson and his roommate, in which Robinson allegedly admitted to killing Kirk, described hiding his rifle and detailing his planning in the days before the shooting, Newsweek reported.
After the press conference was over, Gutman reported, “I don’t know if we have seen an alleged murder with such specific text messages about the alleged murder weapon, where it was hidden, how it was placed, what was on it.
“But also it was very touching in a way that many of us didn’t expect. A very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect’s roommate and the suspect himself with him repeatedly calling his roommate who was transitioning, calling him ‘my love’ and ‘I want to protect you my love.'”
Gutman’s comments have provoked backlash on social media, with some calling for him to be fired, with ABC News having not yet responded.
Representative of the reaction was from Republican political strategist Alex Bruesewitz, who said the reporting was “absolutely disgusting” and insisted that Gutman “should be fired.”
Conservative commentator Meghan McCain shared a clip of the interview, and wrote: “Is everyone @ABC out of their minds?!”
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