Sen. Lee Criticized for Posts After Minnesota Shooting

Utah Senator Mike Lee faced intense bipartisan criticism for posting inflammatory and mocking social media messages, including captions like 'This is what happens when Marxists don’t get their way' and 'Nightmare on Waltz Street,' in the immediate aftermath of a shooting that killed Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and wounded state Senator John Hoffman and his wife. Lee made these remarks while the suspect, Vance Boelter, was still at large, spreading unfounded claims about Boelter's political ideology despite evidence he was a Trump supporter. Political leaders from both parties, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, condemned his comments as insensitive and exploitative. Fact-checkers and social media users rebuked Lee's posts, emphasizing the need for responsible rhetoric. The suspect was later apprehended and charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder, with authorities finding a manifesto and hit list. The incident has reignited debate about the responsibility of elected officials to avoid divisive and misleading rhetoric in the wake of political violence.