Tim Walz Regrets Harsh Words on Trump After Political Assassinations Shake Minnesota
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz—once Kamala Harris’s vice presidential running mate—has publicly expressed regret over inflammatory comments he made about Donald Trump, in the wake of a shocking political assassination that rocked his state. In a sobering interview with KMSP, Walz acknowledged that Trump “brings out the worst in people—and the worst in me.”
The statement marks a stark pivot from Walz’s previously combative rhetoric, including his May appeal for Democrats to “bully the shit out of” the Republican president. With grief hanging over Minnesota following the brutal June murders of former state house speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Walz struck a more reflective tone—an acknowledgment of how charged political discourse can collide violently with reality.
A Grieving Governor in Crisis Mode
From Fiery Campaign Talk to Somber Reflection
The May rallying cry by Walz—urging Democrats to be “meaner” and “more fierce” toward Trump—came at a moment of party-wide demoralization following Harris’s loss to Trump in the November election. But in hindsight, those words feel like political accelerants.
Just two weeks later, the unthinkable occurred: Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated in their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Democratic state senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were wounded in a similar attack in nearby Champlin. The suspect, Vance Boelter, surrendered to authorities shortly thereafter.
Speaking on live television for the first time since the killings, Walz didn’t dodge responsibility for the tone of his previous remarks. “Do we have to watch some of that? Yeah,” he told KMSP, acknowledging his own role in fueling divisiveness.
“Donald Trump brings out the worst in people, and he brings out the worst in me – because I have certainly never been accused of that with anybody else.”
Trump’s Cold Response Deepens the Rift
“Why Would I Call Him?”: Trump Brushes Off Minnesota’s Grief
President Trump’s response to the assassinations has only added fuel to the fire. While the White House issued a brief statement calling the attack a “targeted” act of violence and vowing that such horror “will not be tolerated,” Trump made headlines for a pointed remark: “Why would I call him? I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out.”
For Walz, that was a bitter pill to swallow.
“When this state is grieving and this nation saw what happened here,” Walz said, “Donald Trump used it as an opportunity to attack me.”
The governor—still visibly shaken—eulogized Melissa Hortman at her funeral, and shared that he regretted not forging a personal connection with her outside of politics. “I think that’s the piece that I regret,” he said.
A Dangerous Web of Accusations
Allegations Against Walz Quickly Debunked
As the legal case against Vance Boelter unfolds, troubling narratives have emerged. Court documents revealed a handwritten letter—allegedly authored by Boelter—falsely claiming that Walz had ordered him to assassinate Minnesota’s Democratic U.S. senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. Boelter also claimed Walz had threatened his family.
Federal prosecutors swiftly dismissed these allegations as “absurd and demonstrably false,” and Walz firmly denied any connection. Though he had reappointed Boelter in 2019 to a state workforce advisory board, the governor said he had no relationship with the suspect.
“Never, to the best of my ability, was [I] anywhere around” him, Walz stated. “[I] certainly don’t know him or talk to him.”
The case continues to cast a long shadow over Minnesota politics, and the attacks have prompted urgent questions about political rhetoric, public safety, and accountability.
Walz Eyes Third Term—And Maybe the White House?
Despite the turmoil, Tim Walz is not stepping back from the political arena. He has announced plans to seek a third term as Minnesota governor in 2026—a move fully permissible under state law, which imposes no term limits.
But political observers speculate that Walz may have his sights set even higher: a potential 2028 presidential run. Whether this recent episode softens his national image or complicates his ambitions remains to be seen.
One thing is certain—Walz’s words and tone have shifted. The brash firebrand urging Democrats to fight dirty has morphed into a grieving statesman wrestling with the gravity of political violence.
A Wake-Up Call for America’s Leaders?
Walz’s regretful shift should serve as a wake-up call to politicians across the aisle. In a hyperpolarized America, where policy disagreements escalate into death threats and violence, the cost of careless rhetoric is no longer theoretical—it’s lethal.
In the interview’s most human moment, Walz summarized the emotional toll of this political era:
“Donald Trump brings out the worst in people, and he brings out the worst in me.”
For a nation still reeling from political violence and bitter division, it was a rare moment of honesty—and perhaps, a chance to reset.