Donald Trump has been slammed after he made remarks about the devastating assassination of a Democratic lawmaker and her husband.
Over the weekend, former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, 55, and her husband Mark, 60, were tragically shot dead in their homes, per ABC News.
Their fellow lawmakers, State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, were critically injured and remain hospitalized.
The accused shooter, 57‑year‑old Vance Boelter, is now in custody.
A disturbing detail emerged from a 6:15AM group text he sent to relatives: “Dad went to war last night … I don’t wanna say more because I don’t wanna implicate anybody.”
He added: “Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation… there’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger‑happy and I don’t want you guys around.”
Boelter allegedly executed a plan targeting four lawmakers. He injured the Hoffmans after impersonating a lawman, and his stop at Senator Ann Rest’s house was thwarted by a police officer.
He then fatally shot Melissa and Mark Hortman after breaking into their home.
Governor Tim Walz and Vice President hopeful Kamala Harris condemned the shootings as “politically motivated”.
Walz praised Hortman as “someone who served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, humor, and a sense of service. She was a formidable public servant. A fixture and a giant in Minnesota.”
When reporters asked Trump if he would contact Governor Walz, he dismissed the idea with a blunt attack: “I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out.
"I'm not calling him. Why would I call him? I could call and say, 'Hi, how you doing?' Uh, the guy doesn't have a clue. He's a mess. I could be nice and call, but why waste time?”
Trump’s remarks drew fierce backlash. A spokesperson for Walz responded: “Gov. Walz wishes that President Trump would be a President for all Americans, but this tragedy isn’t about Trump or Walz.
"It’s about the Hortman family, the Hoffman family, and the State of Minnesota, and the Governor remains focused on helping all three heal.”
Social media erupted in response: “What a vile POS Trump is,” one person wrote on Reddit.
A second added: “A state senator is MURDERED and Trump won’t speak to the leaders of that state… He’s the most un‑American leader we’ve EVER had.”
A third said: "Imagine if Biden or Obama had said that about a sitting governor… The outcry would have been through the roof.”
Federal documents uncovered alarming planning: Boelter kept notebooks marked with target profiles for Hortman, even noting her house location as a “big house off golf course, 2 ways in to watch from one spot.”
He scoured online public databases to profile each victim.
After the killings, he was spotted withdrawing $10,000, buying a Buick and e-bike, and leaving a chilling note in the abandoned car: “I am the shooter at large in Minnesota involved in the 2 shootings the morning of Saturday June 15th… Dr. Vance Luther Boelter.”
Boelter, who claimed a leadership doctorate on LinkedIn, is now held without bail in federal court, per CNN.
He faces both federal and state charges, including potential capital punishment.