On Saturday, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump posted a conspiracy theory video on Truth Social that accused Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz of having Democratic legislators and their spouses in his home state attacked and murdered.
The post came as conspiracy theories regarding the murder of Charlie Kirk to create a MAGA Horst Wessel—to distract from Trump’s problems with his ties to his longtime friend Jeffrey Epstein—and the alleged assassination attempt during his 2024 campaign are blowing up online.
On Sunday, Trump doubled down by reposting a text post from a MAGA minion that explains what is in the video he posted.
You can see Trump's posts here:
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
Credible doubts are building around the alleged assassination attempt on Trump over his alleged injuries, the photo op moment provided by Secret Service ducking out of the way, and the lack of information provided about the alleged assassin.
Reasonable questions are also being raised about Kirk's murder and the way it was exploited and monetized as well as the handling of the investigation by Trump's FBI director Kash Patel.
But the June 2025 assassination of Minnesota Democratic state Representative Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark, and their Golden Retriever Gilbert, as well as the attempted assassination of state Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, was fully investigated with information being shared with the press and public.
Trump's own Justice Department has confirmed the identity of the assassin solely responsible for posing as a police officer to murder the Hortmans and attempt to murder the Hoffmans.
The smear campaign Trump is leading against anyone he sees as his political rivals hit a new low when Trump breathed life into the debunked stories about a tragedy he never offered condolences for.
Governor Walz responded to Trump's latest attack on X, writing:
"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."
"America is better than this."
According to Trump's DOJ, the Hortmans' assassin first shot the Hoffmans multiple times, attempted to shoot their daughter Hope, went to the homes of at least two other legislators, then went to the Hortman home and killed Melissa, Mark, and Gilbert. He faces six charges for stalking, murder, and attempted murder.
The Hortman children issued a statement asking Trump to take down his false, inflammatory posts about their slain parents and to apologize for his actions.
Colin Hortman wrote:
"My father and mother, Mark and Melissa Hortman, and their dog Gilbert, were killed by a man who believed conspiracy theories and fake news. Words matter. Sharing fake news is dangerous."
"One part of my grief journey has been understanding the last conversation with my mother. She loved her job. People respected her job and what she did at her job."
"When I called her after the legislative session ended, I asked why she voted for the bill mentioned in the video shared by President Trump, and she wept. That bill and her vote had nothing to do with fraud. She voted for that bill because it was the only way to avoid a government shutdown. She had seen the impact of shutdowns: people lose their health care, their jobs, and in some cases, from a story she told me, have taken their own lives."
"She was in a very tough position on that vote. She had never really voted against her conscience like that. It was emotional and extremely difficult. Her struggle with that vote makes this conspiracy all the more painful for me."
"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."
Sophie Hortman wrote:
"The video shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social is a painful, false twisting of my mother’s final vote."
"The vote she made was incredibly difficult for my mother; it was not a vote made lightly or with malice in her heart. She made the decision to prevent a government shutdown because she believed our great state protects and helps Minnesotans."
"We must create a society in which we do not harbor hatred and violence toward our political opponents, and this video promotes a false narrative which fuels the flames of political division."
"The video being shared by the president is another hurdle our family must overcome in grieving the loss of my parents, Mark and Melissa, and their beloved Gilbert. 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."
The Hoffmans also issued a statement, writing:
"We ask President Trump to take down the post spreading conspiracy claims about their parents’ deaths. Those claims reflect the same hateful falsehoods that motivated violence and cause more harm."
"This moment calls for responsibility and compassion. Removing the post would be a necessary step toward decency."
Minnesota Democratic Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy commented:
"This president has a real penchant and takes a lot of glee in hurting people and that post last night inflicted a lot of pain on people, including, I'm sure, though I haven't spoken with him, on Governor Walz and his family. He and Melissa Hortman were close."
"Melissa Hortman was a dear friend of mine, John Hoffman is my colleague, and I don't understand why [Trump] would decide to do that, but it is another example from my perspective of the continuation of the Republicans' effort to drive division. And sow seeds for violence."
"What we experienced in June was political violence. ...I think the Republicans should not only condemn what the president said last night, but they should take a good look in the mirror at what they're doing as well."
People were appalled but unsurprised at the depths Trump sunk to for one of his petty, puerile vendettas.
The conspiracy theory posts about Hortman’s assassination have been circulating in the MAGAsphere for months. But they are gaining more attention as Trump and other Republicans focus on Minnesota to attack Governor Walz.
Walz announced in September he was seeking a third term as governor. An announcement on the status of his campaign—after repeated personal attacks by the Trump administration have led to harassment of his wife and children and threats of violence—is expected today.
Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images
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@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
