It is true that Melissa Hortman was killed by Vance Boelter on June 14, 2025, according to a press release by the Department of Justice. However, the claim oversimplifies a complex series of reactions on the right to the murder. While some conservatives did express condemnation and empathy following Melissa Hortman's assassination, the characterization of widespread "MAGA empathy" and "remembrances" is not fully supported by available evidence.
The response appears to have been mixed:
There were some genuine expressions of sympathy, like Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth's response, published by the Minnesota House of Reps: "I am devastated by the loss of Speaker-Emerita Melissa Hortman. She was respected by everyone at the Capitol as a formidable advocate for her values and her caucus." The entire Minnesota Congressional delegation also expressed their sympathy in a joint statement.
However, this sat alongside MAGA voices that were highly critical, such as Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who, after initially expressing sadness and concern, then immediately used the situation to criticize Gov. Walz for "appointing a political assassin to boards," referring to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's 2019 reappointment of Vance Boelter to a state board focused on Minnesota's workforce. According to Politifact's reporting on the matter, Boelter had first been appointed to the board by a prior governor, and Boelter and Walz had no personal connection with one another.
This occurred alongside notably restrained reactions from key figures like Trump, who did make a statement condemning the shooting, but the tone of which was noticeably different from his response to other incidents, as pointed out by organizations like ABC. Of Hortman's killing, he simply said that "Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America," and he declined to make a national address, order flags to be lowered to half-mast, or to call Minnesota's governor (common responses to such tragedies). In contrast, Trump's response to other violent incidents was much more personal and forceful. For example, following the recent murder of Charlie Kirk, he made a national address warning about the dangers of political violence (but only from the left) and in his eulogy for Kirk he strongly praised him and his message, according to Factcheck.org analysis.
While it is true that there was some conservative condemnation, it is important to note the context and content of those responses, particularly from MAGA-associated sources.
