US President Donald Trump on Monday suggested that the suspect in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was “radicalized over the internet” and that his political radicalization was “on the left.”Trump said the 22-year-old suspect, Tyler Robinson, appeared to have had a stable upbringing and was a great student. “It looks like he became radicalized over the internet, and it seems like he has wonderful parents, born in a wonderful neighborhood, smart guy, great boards, great marks, great student. Then something happened to him over a fairly short period of time,” he said.Trump described Robinson as having been influenced by leftist ideology, though he did not provide specific details, as reported by CNN. “He’s a left. A lot of problems with the left, and they get protected, and they shouldn’t be protected,” the US President said, later clarifying that this was his personal view. “By the way, when I say that, that’s my opinion. I think he was radicalized online based on what they’re saying.”Robinson, a trade-school student from Utah, was arrested in connection with Kirk’s killing, which occurred on September 10 at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem. Robinson allegedly fired a fatal shot at Kirk from a rooftop approximately 200 yards away and was taken into custody two days later following a tip from a family member.Utah Governor Spencer Cox, who oversaw the case, told The Wall Street Journal that investigators found Robinson’s political leanings to be leftist. While conservatives view Robinson as left-leaning, social media speculation has suggested he was aligned with far-right figures, including Nick Fuentes’ Groypers. Investigators note that Robinson’s motive against Kirk may have stemmed from the perception that Kirk was “too moderate” for some extremist groups.In a separate development, Trump announced that he plans to speak at Kirk’s funeral on Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona. “We’re going to have a stadium, and I bet that stadium is going to be pretty packed, maybe completely packed. It’s going to be big, but I’m going to be at the stadium, and I guess I’ll say a few words,” he said.The US President added that a “whole plane load” of supporters would attend the funeral. Trump said he didn’t yet know what his message would be, but that Kirk was “an amazing guy.”
