Children of Slain Lawmaker Call on Trump to Remove Conspiracy Theory Video

The children of murdered Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman are urging President Donald Trump to take down a social media post promoting unfounded conspiracy theories linking Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to their mother’s death.

In emotional statements released Sunday, Colin and Sophie Hortman condemned the video shared by Trump on his Truth Social platform, calling it painful misinformation that dishonors their mother’s memory.

“I am asking President Trump to remove the video that he shared and apologize to me and my family for posting this misinformation and for using my mother’s own words to dishonor her memory,” wrote Colin Hortman.

Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband Mark were killed in June at their home in what authorities described as “politically motivated” shootings. State Senator John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife Yvette were wounded in separate shootings the same day.

The video Trump shared on Saturday makes unsubstantiated claims connecting Governor Walz and alleged fraud in Minnesota state programs to the murders. No evidence supports such connections.

Sophie Hortman described the video as “a painful, false twisting of my mother’s final vote” that “promotes a false narrative which fuels the flames of political division.”

“The video being shared by the president is another hurdle our family must overcome in grieving the loss of my parents, Mark and Melissa, and their beloved [dog] Gilbert,” she added. “I ask President Trump to please consider the pain and sadness we have faced, and to honor the spirit of the holidays we have just spent without our parents by taking down the post.”

The Hoffman family issued a statement in solidarity with the Hortman children. “We ask President Trump to take down the post spreading conspiracy claims about their parents’ deaths,” the family said. “Those claims reflect the same hateful falsehoods that motivated violence and cause more harm.”

Authorities arrested Minnesota resident Vance Boelter following what officials described as the largest manhunt in state history. Boelter was indicted on federal murder charges in July and pleaded not guilty in August. Investigators have not linked the killings to any broader conspiracy.

Governor Walz, who was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2024, responded forcefully to Trump’s post on Saturday, calling it “dangerous, depraved behavior from the sitting president of the United States” that would “get more innocent people killed.”

“America is better than this,” Walz added.

Trump’s sharing of the conspiracy theory comes as his administration has focused attention on allegations of fraud in Minnesota state programs. The Department of Justice has been investigating fraud allegations in the state for several years, particularly involving a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future. That investigation has led to criminal charges against more than 70 people since 2022, including members of Minnesota’s Somali community.

However, no evidence connects these fraud investigations to the murders of Melissa and Mark Hortman or the attack on the Hoffmans.

The White House has not responded to requests for comment about the Hortman children’s statements or provided an explanation for why Trump shared the video.

Political violence has become an increasing concern in recent years, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle facing threats. The Hortman children’s plea highlights the personal toll that conspiracy theories can take on families already grieving traumatic losses.

“We must create a society in which we do not harbor hatred and violence toward our political opponents,” Sophie Hortman wrote, emphasizing the need to reduce political division rather than inflame it.