Steve Bannon has publicly rejected the official narrative surrounding Charlie Kirk's assassination, suggesting the gunman did not act alone.
According to the Daily Mail, Bannon expressed skepticism about text messages released by Utah prosecutors that allegedly show 22-year-old Tyler Robinson admitting to murdering Kirk at Utah Valley University.
The former Trump advisor questioned the authenticity of the messages between Robinson and his transgender lover, Lance Twiggs, calling them "too stilted" and resembling "a bad script." Bannon's comments come as prosecutors build their case against Robinson, who faces the death penalty if convicted of Kirk's murder.
Bannon specifically challenged the content of Robinson's text messages, suggesting they seemed implausible given the gravity of the situation. "You just murdered the most important young person in the conservative movement, you shot him down like a dog, and you're telling me you're texting, 'Dad's going to be very upset I lost grandpa's rifle.' Are you kidding me?" Bannon said on his War Room podcast.
The former presidential advisor expressed disbelief that someone who had just committed such a high-profile assassination would be concerned about a lost rifle. "How did the guy have time to write a sonnet? How did he worry about 'Dad's really going to be upset about grandpa's rifle?'" Bannon questioned, adding, "Dude, I think your father may be upset that you shot a man in cold blood in front of the world."
Robinson allegedly told his lover via text that he murdered Kirk because he "had enough of his hatred." However, Bannon remains unconvinced by this explanation and the evidence presented so far.
Bannon went further by suggesting potential links between Kirk's assassination and the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July. "You've got to get to the bottom of these groups, you've got to get to the bottom of Antifa, you've got to see if there's any connections to Butler," Bannon stated on his podcast.
The former White House strategist called for a broader investigation into what he believes could be a conspiracy. "The biggest thing is to broaden the assassination investigation from a single murder to the broader conspiracy," he said, adding dramatically, "If we are going to go to war, let's go to war."
FBI Director Kash Patel has stated that the agency is reviewing a Discord group chat where Robinson allegedly admitted to the murder, and noted that all members of Robinson's online chat will be investigated. This aligns with Bannon's call for a wider investigation into potential accomplices or influences.
In the immediate aftermath of Kirk's death, President Trump and senior administration officials blamed the "radical left" for creating an environment that led to the assassination. Utah Governor Spencer Cox claimed Robinson was motivated by "leftist ideology" when he allegedly murdered Kirk.
Media figures across the political spectrum have called for transparency in the investigation of Kirk's murder. The high-profile nature of the case has intensified scrutiny of the official narrative, with Bannon's comments adding fuel to conspiracy theories about the assassination.
According to Bannon, the Trump administration is considering various executive actions in response to the assassination, including potentially labeling Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. These potential measures highlight the political ramifications of Kirk's death within conservative circles.
Robinson was charged with Kirk's murder on Tuesday and could face the death penalty if convicted. The text messages released by prosecutors allegedly show Robinson expressing no remorse for Kirk's death in the immediate aftermath, instead worrying about losing his grandfather's rifle.
The FBI's investigation includes examining Robinson's online activities, particularly his participation in Discord group chats. Director Patel's commitment to investigating all members of Robinson's online community suggests authorities are not ruling out the possibility of accomplices or influences.
As the investigation continues, the political dimensions of Kirk's assassination remain prominent, with figures like Bannon using their platforms to question the official narrative and call for broader investigations into potential political motivations behind the killing.