The threat of political violence is hanging over Washington after two Minnesota state lawmakers were shot in their homes over the weekend.
The suspected assassin, Vance Boelter, was apprehended Sunday night after a two-day manhunt.
Boelter is accused of killing Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, who were shot at their home early Saturday. He’s also alleged to have shot State Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife Yvette Hoffman at their home. The Hoffmans are recovering from their gunshot wounds after undergoing surgery.
Boelter faces a stalking charge for each lawmaker he shot, murder charges for the killings of Hortman and her husband and two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence.
In the suspect’s car, police found five firearms, large amounts of ammunition and a “hit list” containing the names of more than 45 Minnesota state and federal public officials, reportedly all Democrats.
“One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said.
“This cannot be the norm, it cannot be the way we deal with our political differences,” he added.
Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) will receive additional protection from the Capitol Police.
“We have to reevaluate how we are protecting members of Congress and staffs in the face of rising threats,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.
Notable instances of violence against politicians:
• President Trump survived two attempted assassinations during his 2024 election campaign.
• In 2022, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s security was bolstered after an armed man was apprehended near his home.
• That same year, a man broke into Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) home and beat her husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer.
• House GOP leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) was shot in 2017.
• Former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) was shot in 2011.
“People need to call people out,” Klobuchar said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “Some people need to look in the mirror and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got to stop this or stop my colleagues from doing this because it makes it much worse.’ We need to bring the tone down, and we also need to stand up when people do bad things.”
Klobuchar singled out Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) for a social media post apparently blaming Walz for the killing.
• The heightened threat of political violence comes amid protests and unrest in major cities over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation raids.
Over the weekend, police used used tear gas and rubber bullets to clear protests in Los Angeles, where Trump has dispatched U.S. Marines and National Guard troops to keep the peace.
Police made several arrests at a riot in Portland, Ore., outside of an ICE facility. Two people were shot at a “No Kings” rally in Salt Lake City.
Trump has vowed to accelerate ICE raids and deportations despite the protests, although his focus has narrowed.
In a post on social media, Trump directed ICE to “expand efforts” to detain and deport people in the country illegally in cities run by Democrats “where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.”
As Trump ramps up his focus on blue cities, he’s drawing back enforcement efforts against workers in the agriculture, hotel and restaurant industries, NewsNation reports.
“Effective today, please hold on all work site enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants and operating hotels,” Tatum King, a senior ICE official, said to regional leaders in a memo.
Trump had signaled the shift in a Truth Social post last week.
“Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” he said.
“This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!”
That move provoked criticism from Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who said ICE should not “pull back on any kind of enforcement.”
“I think worksite enforcement in all industries needs to be able to move forward,” Cotton said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “And I think ICE agents on the front lines need the support of political leadership.”
