Political Violence and Misinformation

President Trump reposted a Truth Social video promoting conspiracy theories about the killing of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman, prompting her children to publicly ask him to remove it and drawing condemnation from state political leaders. The video falsely alleges Gov. Tim Walz’s involvement—pointing to suspect Vance Boelter’s service on a Walz‑era state panel—and claims Hortman knew of a fraud scheme that surfaced months after her death; authorities say Boelter trafficked in conspiracies, wrote to the FBI alleging a plot involving Walz and Senate seats and has pleaded not guilty, while prosecutors have separately accused dozens, mostly from the Somali diaspora, in a large fraud probe that led Walz to end his reelection bid.