> At a Glance
> – Colin and Sophie Hortman plead with President Trump to delete a Truth Social post
> – The video links Governor Tim Walz to their mother’s June murder without evidence
> – The Hoffmans, also targeted in the attack, back the siblings’ request
> – Why it matters: Baseless claims from powerful figures can deepen political violence and retraumatize victims’ families
Colin and Sophie Hortman are asking President Donald Trump to remove a viral Truth Social video that falsely ties Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to the shooting deaths of their parents, state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, last June.
The Controversial Post
On Saturday, Trump reposted a user-made video that mixes unrelated fraud allegations with the unsolved double homicide, suggesting Governor Walz had some role. Investigators have never presented evidence connecting the governor to the crime.
- The same video claims widespread fraud in state programs
- Authorities say the murders were “politically motivated” but name only one suspect
- Trump has not commented on why he shared the content
Families Speak Out
Colin Hortman wrote:
> “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 added:
> “The video being shared by the president is another hurdle our family must overcome in grieving the loss of my parents.”
The Hoffman family, whose parents were wounded in the same attack, issued a joint statement:
> “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.”
Legal Timeline
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Hortman and Hoffman shootings | June 2024 |
| Suspect Vance Boelter indicted on federal murder charges | July 2024 |
| Boelter pleads not guilty | August 2024 |
Federal prosecutors are preparing for trial while the families continue to grieve.
Political Fallout
Governor Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice-presidential nominee, called Trump’s action:
> “dangerous, depraved behavior from the sitting president of the United States” and warned it could “get more innocent people killed.”
The White House did not answer questions about the post’s origin or whether it will stay online.
Key Takeaways
- No evidence links Governor Walz to the Hortman murders
- The Hortman and Hoffman families jointly demand the post’s removal
- Trump amplified the claims amid separate federal fraud probes in Minnesota
- The Justice Department’s Feeding Our Future investigation has produced 70+ indictments since 2022 but is unrelated to the shootings
With the holidays approaching, both families stress a simple message: take the post down and let them mourn without conspiracy theories.
