The funeral of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, victims of a politically motivated assassination, was attended by former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, but not the current president. While Trump issued a statement condemning the killings, he simultaneously displayed indifference and callousness by playing golf with Republican leaders and attacking Democrats on social media. Furthermore, Trump implied Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was somehow responsible, adding weight to misinformation and attempting to politicize the tragedy. Rather than offer a unifying response, Trump’s actions underscored his tendency to treat political violence with a partisan slant, in contrast to what a responsible leader would do.
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Minnesota mourned the loss of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who was laid to rest alongside her husband after a politically motivated assassination. The attack, which also targeted Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, was carried out by a man impersonating a law enforcement officer. The assailant, Vance Boelter, was apprehended after a large manhunt, and a hit list of other politicians was found in his possession. The funeral was attended by prominent political figures and served as a moment of unity as the nation grapples with increased political violence.
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The Minnesota State Capitol rotunda held a unique memorial service on June 27th for the late State Rep. Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark Hortman, and their family dog, Gilbert, who were all killed at their home on June 14th. This event marked the first instance of a woman and an animal being honored in this way at the Minnesota Capitol. Mourners, including many who brought their own dogs, came to pay their respects, reflecting the family’s love for dogs and their community involvement. The alleged shooter, Vance Boelter, has been arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder in connection to the shooting of the Hortmans and Senator John Hoffman and his wife.
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Following the fatal shooting of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, their home was burglarized. The break-in, discovered Wednesday, involved forced entry through a rear window, though nothing appeared to be missing. Police are investigating the incident and seeking information from the public, while neighbors express outrage and sorrow over the desecration of the Hortmans’ home. Meanwhile, the suspect, Vance Boelter, is in custody, facing murder charges related to the Hortmans’ deaths and attacks on other state lawmakers.
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Elon Musk criticized his AI platform, Grok, for accurately reporting that right-wing political violence has been more frequent and deadly since 2016, citing incidents like the January 6th Capitol riot. Musk labeled Grok’s response a “major fail,” claiming it was parroting legacy media despite Grok acknowledging that left-wing violence, while less lethal, is also rising. Grok’s response included caveats about reporting biases and the difficulty of precise attribution. The criticism followed a recent politically motivated shooting in Minnesota that killed two Democratic lawmakers.
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Following a mass shooting in Minnesota that killed former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, President Trump refused to call Governor Tim Walz, citing his disapproval of the governor. Trump’s spokesperson confirmed the president’s refusal, stating that he considered Walz “whacked out” and unworthy of a call. This action contrasts sharply with former President Biden’s immediate call to Walz expressing condolences. The President’s decision is particularly notable given the Trump administration’s publicly stated commitment to combating politically motivated violence, yet no federal terrorism charges have been filed against the suspect.
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Donald Trump Jr. falsely linked the suspect in the assassination of Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman and attempted murder of other Democratic lawmakers, Vance Boelter, to the “radical transgender movement,” despite Boelter’s own anti-trans statements. Boelter, a cisgender man, allegedly murdered Rep. Hortman and attempted to murder other elected officials and their families. Contrary to Trump Jr.’s claims, data overwhelmingly demonstrates that transgender individuals are far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators. Boelter’s anti-trans views were expressed in videos where he described transgender people as “confused” individuals corrupted by “the enemy.”
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Following a shooting that killed two Minnesota Democratic lawmakers and their spouses, Governor Tim Walz condemned the violence, emphasizing the need for compassion and compromise in political discourse. However, President Trump’s response, while acknowledging the tragedy, also included criticism of the governor, mirroring a pattern of inflammatory rhetoric from some Republican figures. Several prominent Republicans, including Senators Bernie Moreno and Mike Lee, offered inaccurate and partisan interpretations of the event, blaming the “far left” despite evidence suggesting the shooter was a conservative Trump supporter. This response highlights a disturbing trend of using political violence to further partisan agendas, exemplified by Senator Lee’s descent into online trolling.
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Vance Boelter faces state and federal charges for the murders of Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the attempted murders of Senator John Hoffman and his wife. The FBI investigation revealed Boelter visited the homes of at least two other lawmakers the same night, indicating a pre-planned, targeted attack. Boelter was apprehended after a 36-hour manhunt, and authorities recovered multiple firearms and evidence suggesting extensive planning and surveillance of his victims. Prosecutors intend to pursue first-degree murder charges, carrying a potential sentence of life without parole.
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A shooting in Minnesota left former Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband dead, and state Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette critically injured. Yvette Hoffman heroically shielded her daughter, Hope, from the hail of bullets fired by the suspect, Vance Luther Boelter. Boelter, described as a Republican, was apprehended and charged with murder and attempted murder; a list of political targets was found in his possession. Governor Walz characterized the incident as targeted political violence.
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John Q. Hosedrinker