Minnesota State Democrats Assassinated Ahead of Trump’s 79th Birthday

This newsletter was originally published on June 18, 2025 — Download as PDF

Photo by Chad Davis / Flickr

In a gruesome act of targeted political violence, two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses were shot inside their homes by a masked assassin during the early hours of Saturday, June 14 — the same day millions of people would later take to the streets to protest MAGA authoritarianism.

Tragically, Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were both found dead inside their home. State Senator John Hoffman, along with his wife Yvette, was also shot multiple times before the gunman fled police. The latter two victims survived with critical injuries.

The suspect in the case, 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, a private security contractor known for his deeply conservative and pro-Trump beliefs, was finally apprehended on Sunday following an extensive manhunt. Investigators say Boelter posed as a police officer to gain access to his victims.

Make no mistake: this cruel and senseless violence has no place in America and must be forcefully condemned by all sides of the political spectrum.

Photo by the Office of Governor Tim Walz on Flickr

Tim Walz Reflects on the Murder of Melissa and Mark Hortman: “We Will Not Let Fear Win”

Following the apprehension of terrorist assassin Vance Luther Boelter, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued a statement expressing grief over the loss of his close friend and colleague.

“Boelter’s unthinkable actions ended the life of someone who shaped the core of who we are as a state, someone who was beloved by colleagues on both sides of the aisle,” Walz said, as he remembered the life and legacy of Melissa Hortman.

With civil unrest intensifying across the country in response to the Republican Party’s hateful truth-bending agenda, which undeniably facilitated the premeditated assassinations of Democratic lawmakers, Governor Walz urged Americans to choose peace and compassion over violence.

“As a country, we cannot become numb to this violence,” Walz stressed. “We are a deeply divided nation. That has become even more clear over the last two days. The way we move forward and solve the problems facing our nation is not through hate. It is not through violence.”

“It is through humility, and grace, and civility.”                         

“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” the governor added. “We must now move forward in Melissa’s honor with understanding, service, and above all, a sense of one [another’s] humanity.”

Meanwhile, Trump Still Refuses to Call Tim Walz After Minnesota Assassinations

In the aftermath of these gruesome murders, Governor Walz has been consoled by current and former leaders from both sides of the aisle, ranging from Joe Biden to J.D. Vance, yet there’s one man he has not yet heard from: Donald Trump.

Speaking to reporters, the president rationalized this selfish decision by slandering his former 2024 rival as an “incompetent person.”

“I think the Governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. Why would I call him?” Trump said. “The guy doesn't have a clue. I could be nice and call him, but why waste time?”

Senator Mike Lee — photo by Gage Skidmore on Wikimedia Commons

Republican Leaders Share Provocative and Misleading Conspiracy Theories About Minnesota Assassin

As Democratic politicians and their spouses are being shot dead inside their homes, MAGA Republicans cannot stop themselves from sharing dangerous lies and propaganda that put other people’s lives at risk.

In a particularly disgusting example, Utah Senator Mike Lee endorsed blatant misinformation that portrayed the Minnesota killer, Vance Luther Boelter, as a registered Democrat and radical-left extremist, something that could not be further from the truth.

“This is what happens. When Marxists don’t get their way.” Lee posted on Twitter alongside a photo of the now-apprehended suspect. “Nightmare on Waltz Street,” he added, misspelling the governor’s name.

Lee’s comments gave credence to fringe right-wing conspiracy theories that Boelter was somehow an ally of Governor Tim Walz, based solely on reports that he had been briefly reappointed to serve on a citizen advisory board in the state’s government.

On the contrary, Boelter’s friends and colleagues described him as a devout right-wing Christian and anti-abortion activist who frequented Donald Trump’s political rallies. Although his current party affiliation in Minnesota is not public record, he was last recorded as being a registered Republican in 2004. Although an exact motive is not yet known, it’s safe to say that the killer is neither a Marxist nor a Democrat.

New York City Comptroller and Democratic Mayoral Candidate Brad Lander Arrested at Immigration Court

In other news, on Tuesday, June 17, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander became the latest Democrat to be arrested by the Trump administration while defending migrants’ rights to legal due process.

Before being forced to the wall and viciously arrested by masked federal agents, Lander had linked arms with an immigrant who was awaiting a scheduled court hearing.

Following the incident, Trump’s Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary accused Lander of assaulting and impeding law enforcement — charges Lander vehemently denies.

Conversely, Lander recalled being forcibly separated from the migrant he was escorting and “certainly did not” assault a police officer.

“I’m not obstructing, I’m standing right here in the hallway,” Lander said as he was detained.

Unfortunately, Brad Lander’s unprovoked arrest by masked ICE agents was hardly an isolated incident. Just last week, for example, United States Senator Alex Padilla was removed and forcefully apprehended from an L.A. press conference with Trump’s Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, merely for asking questions.

Likewise, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Democratic Rep. Monica McIver were arrested in May during a visit to a federal immigrant detention facility in New Jersey.