The ABC News reporter who apologized in September for calling the correspondence between Charlie Kirk's suspected assassin, Tyler Robinson, and his transgender romantic partner "very touching," is jumping to CBS, the network announced Tuesday.
Matt Gutman, whose comments resulted in a wave of backlash on social media, becomes the first major hire by recently installed CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. He is set to have a major presence at CBS News, reporting for "CBS Mornings," "CBS Evening News," serving as lead correspondent for "48 Hours" and contributing to future seasons of "60 Minutes." He will serve as CBS News chief correspondent.
"Matt Gutman goes there. He brings the audience along with him to whatever story he is covering, and he approaches his work with the qualities we look for in all our journalists: fearlessness, energy and relentlessness," Weiss said in a statement.
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Gutman, who will be based in Los Angeles, will also serve as a fill-in anchor.
Gutman was reporting from a press conference earlier this year for ABC News when authorities announced murder charges against Robinson. Gutman commented on the emotion shown by the suspected assassin toward his transgender roommate in text messages related to the killing.
In texts between Robinson and his roommate, who law enforcement confirms has been in the process of transitioning, the suspect referred to the roommate as "my love" multiple times. Gutman found himself in hot water after he remarked on that part of the exchange.
"It was very touching in a way that many of us didn't expect," Gutman said. "A very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect's roommate and the suspect himself, with him repeatedly calling his roommate, who is transitioning, calling him 'my love.' And 'I want to protect you, my love.'"
Gutman continued: "I don't think I've ever experienced a press conference in which we've read text messages that are a) so fulsome, so robust, so apparently allegedly self-incriminating and yet, on the other hand, so touching, right?"
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He added that there is a "heartbreaking duality" about the crime, referring both to Kirk's assassination and the apparent romantic connection between Robinson and his roommate.
On ABC News' livestream platform, Gutman initially doubled down, calling it "heartbreaking on so many levels" and linking Kirk's brutal murder to the "portrait of a very human person."
Gutman later apologized, stating that he regretted that his words did not come out as intended.
"I tried to underscore the jarring contrast between this cold blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk - a man who dedicated his life to public dialogue - and the personal, disturbing texts read aloud by the Utah County Attorney at the press conference," Gutman wrote on X.
"I deeply regret that my words did not make that clear," he continued. "But let there be zero doubt: I unequivocally condemn this horrific crime and the pain it caused Charlie Kirk's family, those who were forced to witness it at UVU, and the millions of people he inspired."
That was not Gutman's only public apology while working at ABC News.
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In 2020, Gutman was suspended by ABC News after inaccurately suggesting that all four of Kobe Bryant's children were on the helicopter that crashed and killed the NBA legend and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
Gutman issued a correction and an apology later in the day.
"Today I inaccurately reported it was believed that four of Kobe Bryant's children were on board that flight. That is incorrect. I apologize to Kobe's family, friends and our viewers," Gutman stated.
Gutman has extensive experience covering Middle East conflicts, was one of the earliest journalists to arrive in Israel after the Oct. 7 terror attack and was on the ground in Ukraine when Russia invaded. He has also covered a variety of natural disasters and other newsworthy events across six continents.
He starts at CBS on Jan. 5.
Fox News Digital's Gabriel Hays and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
