If Americans were braced for political violence this weekend, they probably feared it would erupt at one of the hundreds of “No Kings” rallies around the country protesting President Donald Trump’s policies. But with the exception of a bystander apparently killed by a so-called “peacekeeper” in Utah, the protests were largely peaceful.
Instead, an assassin targeted two Democratic Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses early Saturday at their homes. State Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, were shot but survived. Next, Melissa Hortman, speaker emerita of the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed. It was a nauseating, reprehensible act that all Americans must condemn.
Americans used to be able to dismiss political violence as something that happened only in other countries — places like Mexico or Colombia, Russia and the Philippines. We cannot ignore it now.
Threats and attacks have become part of the American political landscape. Trump endured two assassination attempts during the 2024 presidential campaign; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family survived an arson attack in April at their home. About two weeks ago, a man threw Molotov cocktails at people participating in a peaceful march in Colorado in support of the hostages held by Hamas.
The Minnesota shootings were disturbing at every level. The gunman dressed like a police officer and went to the homes of four lawmakers planning to kill them. He had multiple lists of intended victims. Alert local police prevented even worse violence by interrupting the shooter at the Hortmans’ home, after other officers had responded to the shooting at the Hoffmans’ residence in a nearby town.
Politicians and their entourages bear special responsibility to tone down their rhetoric and discuss these attacks with the solemnity they deserve. No equivocations. Trump appropriately called the shootings an act of “horrific violence.” U.S. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah posted tasteless, indefensible jests on social media. We can only hope his account was hacked.
Politicians, judges and other public servants all face increasing threats. The environment they create, by the way they treat one another and speak publicly to one another, can enhance — or undermine — their own safety.
When a police officer dies in the line of duty, other law enforcement officers from around the state and nation will attend the funeral. It is a sign of respect for the fallen officer, and an act of sympathy for and solidarity with the officer’s loved ones and colleagues.
It would be a meaningful gesture for lawmakers from both parties to honor their fallen colleague this way. Instead of being pulled further to the extremes, they would come together from across the country and attend Melissa Hortman’s memorial as colleagues grieving the loss of one of their own.
They would host no news conferences, hold no fundraisers while in town, post nothing to social media. They would simply pay their respects and return home, hoping this was the first and last time they had to mourn a fellow legislator killed in a brazen act of political violence.
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