Minnesota leaders condemn Trump post promoting false theory about Hortman killing

Sofia Barnett, Star Tribune on Jan 4, 2026

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Minnesota political leaders from both parties condemned a social media post Saturday by President Donald Trump that amplified a baseless conspiracy theory suggesting Gov. Tim Walz was involved in the killing of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman.

Trump reposted a video on Truth Social asserting, without evidence, that Walz had Hortman assassinated — a claim that has circulated in fringe online spaces since her death and has been repeatedly rejected by law enforcement and state officials. The repost drew swift and unusually bipartisan backlash in Minnesota, with officials warning the rhetoric was dangerous and retraumatizing for the victims’ families.

Walz responded on X, denouncing Trump’s repost as reckless and threatening.

“Dangerous, depraved behavior from the sitting president of the United States,” Walz wrote. “In covering for an actual serial killer, he is going to get more innocent people killed. America is better than this.”

Republican state Sen. Julia Coleman also condemned the post, urging leaders to draw a clear line against conspiracy theories tied to violence.

“When leaders across the country — from state senators like me to voices in every corner — repeatedly call for an end to baseless conspiracy theories, it’s a powerful signal,” Coleman wrote. “We must all reject this behavior outright and refuse to tolerate it.”

“The American people, grieving families, and the legacies of those lost deserve far better,” she added. “Debate policies fiercely. Fight for what you believe in. But do not speculate, guess, or spread stories that are plainly false and deeply harmful.”

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar accused Trump of legitimizing violent disinformation and disregarding the harm inflicted on the victims’ families.

“The President is literally endorsing the crazy conspiracy reasoning of a multiple murderer. An assassin,” Klobuchar wrote. “Think of how Melissa’s and Mark’s family feel when they see this. But that’s the point — the President doesn’t care.”

Former Republican House Majority Leader Pat Garofalo also condemned the repost, saying it compounded the damage already done.

“Absolutely disgusting behavior by Trump,” Garofalo wrote. “Everyone in MN knows that spreading that lie does nothing but victimize the surviving families a second time.”

Law enforcement officials have said there is no evidence linking Gov. Walz or any other elected official to the attack.

Authorities arrested and charged Vance Boelter in the June 14 shootings, which killed former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and critically wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, setting off an intense, multi-day manhunt and widespread public safety alerts across Minnesota. Investigators have repeatedly rejected conspiracy theories surrounding the attack.

Minnesota officials have repeatedly warned that the conspiracy theories surrounding Hortman’s killing are not only false but risk inciting further threats and violence against public officials — a concern that, in this case, united Democrats and Republicans in rare agreement.

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