Jun 15, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Trump has not called Walz following shooting of Minnesota lawmakers

Gov. Tim Walz looks forward as he stands during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing. — Gov. Tim Walz during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing in Washington, DC, on June 12. Photo: Allison Robbert/Bloomberg via Getty Images

President Trump has not called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz more than 24 hours after a prominent Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband were killed in what officials have described as a "politically motivated assassination."

The big picture: Saturday's fatal shooting of Minnesota House Democratic Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman has exacerbated bipartisan security concerns among elected officials amid a volatile political landscape.

Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman were injured in a separate shooting at their home on Saturday.

What we're hearing: Walz spokesperson Teddy Tschann confirmed to Axios that the governor had not heard from the president directly as of early Sunday afternoon.

Walz spoke to both Vice President Vance and former President Biden on Saturday, Tschann said.
The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

What he's saying: When asked by ABC News Sunday morning whether he planned to reach out to the Democratic governor, the president criticized Walz but left the door open to a conversation.

"Well, it's a terrible thing. I think he's a terrible governor. I think he's a grossly incompetent person. But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too," he told ABC's Rachel Scott.
On Saturday, Trump condemned the shooting as "horrific," saying such violence "will not be tolerated in the United States of America."

Context: Law enforcement say 57-year-old Vance Boelter posed as a police officer when he killed Hortman and her husband in their suburban Twin Cities home early Saturday.

Boelter is also wanted in connection with a separate shooting that wounded Hoffman and his wife. He remained on the run as of midday Sunday.

Investigators recovered a manifesto featuring a target list that included the names of Democratic lawmakers and prominent individuals who support abortion rights in Minnesota.

Zoom out: While Trump has not reached out personally, the state is receiving assistance and support from the administration.

The FBI, which is on the ground in Minnesota, has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter's capture and conviction.
Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the "horrific violence" in a post on X Saturday, pledging to prosecute "to the fullest extent of the law."

Go deeper: What to know about Minnesota lawmakers' shootings that killed Melissa Hortman

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Trump has not called Walz following shooting of Minnesota lawmakers

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