Trump attacks judge in Charlie Kirk murder case and demands trial within a month instead of waiting years

U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized Utah Judge Tony Graf on Friday over the pace of the case against Tyler Robinson, who is accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

“The judge in the Charlie Kirk case is doing a terrible job,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This case should be tried within a month, not three years — and it should be over with!”

Trump accused Graf of “desecrating the memory” of Kirk by allowing the proceedings to take too long and said the country was mocking the judge and the legal system.

His intervention came as Graf prepared to consider competing proposals for when Robinson’s capital murder trial should begin. Robinson’s defense has asked for a start in the third quarter of 2029, saying it needs years to prepare for a complex death-penalty case involving extensive evidence, jury selection and possible venue issues.

Utah County prosecutors say they could be ready by October 2027 but have proposed January 31, 2028, while Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has urged the court to begin the trial as early as possible in 2027.

Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and six other charges stemming from Kirk’s fatal shooting at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.