Republican Senator Faces Backlash Over Mocking Minnesota Shooting

Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee faced widespread criticism for his social media posts following a politically motivated shooting in Minnesota that resulted in the death of Senator Melissa Hortman and others. Lee posted a photo of the suspected shooter, Vance Boelter, with captions such as "Nightmare on Waltz Street" and accusing Marxists of causing violence, which many condemned as insensitive and politically exploitative. Fact-checkers clarified that Boelter's political beliefs aligned more with evangelical Christian conservatism rather than Marxism, contradicting Lee's claims. The shooting targeted Democratic politicians and abortion rights activists, with Boelter's vehicle containing a manifesto and a list of about 70 names. In a separate incident, Minnesota Senator Jen McEwen drew local criticism for describing military fighter jets as "killer war planes" in a social media post, which Duluth city councilor Arik Forsman called disrespectful to the local 148th fighter wing. These events highlight the intense political tensions and controversies surrounding recent violence and public discourse in Minnesota.