Trump refuses Minnesota visit after assassination, attacks Democratic governor

On Jun. 14, 2025, a pro-Trump gunman killed former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark in Brooklyn Park.

Two days later (by Jun. 16), President Trump publicly condemned the violence but had not called Governor Tim Walz or joined him in a joint healing appearance.

In his initial Truth Social post about the attack, Trump named Gov. Walz and attacked his "weak leadership" during the 2020 George Floyd unrest.

As of Jun. 16, 2025, Trump told ABC News he "may" call Walz but had not done so.

Vice President JD Vance phoned Gov. Walz the afternoon of Jun. 14, 2025, according to the governor's office.

Former President Joe Biden called Gov. Walz roughly six hours after the shootings, per Walz's staff.

Former Governor Tim Pawlenty publicly paid tribute to Hortman and Hoffman after the shootings.

In 2011, President Obama phoned Arizona Governor Jan Brewer the day of the shooting of Rep. Gabby Giffords, offering the full resources of the federal government—a precedent critics cited when comparing presidential crisis calls.

President Bush called Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (D) after the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, and Biden called Trump after his 2024 assassination attempt, establishing bipartisan presidential crisis outreach as standard protocol.

The Stafford Act and presidential emergency powers establish the constitutional and statutory framework for federal-state cooperation during disasters, requiring presidential coordination with governors.