Several Minnesota Democratic lawmakers have publicly condemned a social media post by former President Donald Trump that falsely implicated Governor Tim Walz in the assassination of House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman. The post, shared on Trump’s Truth Social platform, has drawn significant backlash from state officials, particularly as Walz campaigns for a third term in office.
Democratic Leaders React Strongly
House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson expressed his outrage in a statement, stating, “Tonight, Donald Trump, who couldn’t be bothered to lower the flags to half staff or even say Melissa Hortman’s name until now, is spreading outrageous lies about her death. I cannot begin to explain the pain and anger that he is causing.”
Walz, who previously served as running mate to Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, is currently facing attacks from Trump related to allegations of fraud within state social service programs. In a response to Trump’s post, Walz wrote on X, “Dangerous, depraved behavior from the sitting president of the United States. In covering for an actual serial killer, he is going to get more innocent people killed. America is better than this.”
U.S. Representative Betty McCollum, representing the St. Paul area, criticized Trump’s comments, asserting that they degrade the Office of the President. “Trump is engaging in an outrageous lie,” she said. “The man charged with killing Melissa and Mark Hortman was known to traffic in exactly the kind of conspiracy theory Donald Trump just endorsed.”
The Context of the Assassination
Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, were fatally shot in their Brooklyn Park home on June 14, 2025. Their dog, Gilbert, also succumbed to gunshot wounds. The alleged assassin, Vance Boelter, 58, from Green Isle, Minnesota, faces multiple charges related to their deaths and the shootings of state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, on the same night. Prosecutors have yet to clarify any motives for these violent acts.
Stephenson, a close friend of Hortman, remarked that she was “murdered by a right-wing, anti-abortion extremist who believed conspiracy theories about COVID. Melissa Hortman and Tim Walz were friends and allies. Anyone who claims otherwise is lying.”
Boelter’s confession letter, which federal prosecutors stated appeared to be an attempt to excuse his actions, included claims that Walz ordered him to assassinate U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar to further his own political ambitions. This has fueled further conspiracy theories regarding the motivations behind Hortman’s murder.
Among the conspiracy theories circulating is the false assertion that Hortman’s vote at the end of the 2025 legislative session to repeal MinnesotaCare health insurance for undocumented immigrant adults played a role in her assassination. In reality, Hortman had opposed the repeal and was the sole Democratic vote in favor as part of a budget compromise with Republicans in the divided House.
As the political climate intensifies, the implications of Trump’s statements raise concerns about the potential for further political violence and the spread of misinformation in the public discourse. The situation underscores the precarious intersection of politics and personal tragedy in contemporary America.
