The children of late Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman have urged President Donald Trump to take down a social media post he shared, saying it pushes a false and painful conspiracy about their parents’ death. Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband were gunned down in their home in June 2025.
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Unsubstantiated claims
Over the weekend, Trump shared a post on Truth Social claiming that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was behind the shooting deaths. There is no evidence to support that accusation.
That same day in June 2025, a gunman also shot and wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, in their home.
On Sunday, the Hortmans’ children, Colin and Sophie, each released statements condemning the video.
“I am asking President Trump to remove the video that he shared and apologize to me and my family for posting this misinformation and for using my mother’s own words to dishonor her memory,” Colin Hortman said.
Sophie Hortman said in her statement, “The video being shared by the president is another hurdle our family must overcome in grieving the loss of my parents.”
“I ask President Trump to please consider the pain and sadness we have faced, and to honor the spirit of the holidays we have just spent without our parents by taking down the post on Truth Social,” she added.
What we know about the shootings
Authorities say the attacks were carried out by Vance Boelter, a Minnesota man now facing federal murder charges. He was indicted in July 2025 and has pleaded not guilty.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson said in July 2025 that Boelter had written a letter claiming that Walz asked him to kill Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, both of Minnesota. The letter also claimed Boelter was threatened with harm to his family if he revealed this claim to the public.
Thompson called Boelter’s letter “a delusion.”
Walz’s response
Walz fired back at Trump’s post, calling it “dangerous, depraved behavior from the sitting president of the United States.”
“In covering for an actual serial killer, he is going to get more innocent people killed,” Walz said.
