Fox News hosts Brian Kilmeade and Lawrence Jones criticized right-wing podcasters Thursday for promoting conspiracy theories surrounding the death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk as preliminary court hearings continue for the man accused of killing him.
The comments came during Fox & Friends following a segment covering the ongoing hearings involving Tyler Robinson, who faces an aggravated murder charge in connection with Kirk’s death.
The current proceedings are intended to determine whether prosecutors have presented sufficient evidence for the case to move forward to trial. According to The New York Times, the hearings function “like a reduced trial,” with witnesses testifying and evidence being presented before a judge rather than a jury.
The hearings are expected to continue through the end of the week.
During the discussion, co-host Emily Compagno said she hoped the legal process would not become a prolonged case stretching over several years, saying such an outcome would be especially difficult for Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, and the couple’s children.
Kilmeade then turned his attention to online personalities who have continued to speculate about the circumstances surrounding Kirk’s death, accusing them of profiting from unfounded claims.
“The podcasters are sitting there loving it because they get their clicks making up stuff,” Kilmeade said, adding that people are clearly “being taken advantage of.”
Following Kirk’s fatal shooting during an event at a Utah campus in September, several commentators, including Candace Owens, promoted various conspiracy theories about the case after Robinson was arrested.
Among those claims were suggestions that Kirk had not been killed by a lone gunman. Others attempted to connect the assassination to Israel.
Those allegations have drawn strong condemnation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who publicly rejected the claims and defended Kirk’s legacy.
“This is insane. It is false. It is outrageous,” Netanyahu previously said. “Charlie Kirk was a giant, a once-in-a-century talent, who defended freedom, defended America, defended our common Judeo-Christian civilization.”
While discussing the ongoing hearings, Jones argued that although Robinson’s defense team is not explicitly advancing the same conspiracy theories circulating online, he believes the attorneys are attempting to capitalize on them during the proceedings.
According to Jones, the defense has asked questions that appear designed to subtly raise doubts connected to those online narratives without directly embracing them.
“That’s my problem with this whole thing,” Jones said. “Although the defense is not making those arguments that the podcasters are making, they are using it as leverage in this case.”
Jones continued by arguing that the questioning appears intended to plant uncertainty about the prosecution’s case.
“They keep asking questions that almost, like, hint, hint at it during their questioning,” he said. “It’s malicious. They know it’s not true, but they’re hoping that if they could leverage this just a little bit for the potential of a jury nullification that the prosecution will say, ‘OK, let’s take the death penalty off the table. Let’s just give him life in prison.’”
Jones concluded by dismissing that possibility, saying, “I’m sorry, that’s not happening.”
The discussion highlighted growing frustration among the Fox News hosts over conspiracy theories surrounding the high-profile case, even as the court continues reviewing testimony and evidence to determine whether Robinson will stand trial on the aggravated murder charge.
