President Donald Trump will not call Gov. Tim Walz in the aftermath of the deadly shootings in Minnesota that killed a Democratic legislator and injured another, saying it would be a waste of his time.
“I’m not calling him,” Trump said when asked, the Associated Press reported. He then proceeded to call Walz “slick” and “whacked out.”
“The guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. So, you know, I could be nice and call him, but why waste time?” Trump added.
Presidents and other heads of state often reach out to other elected officials in the aftermath of shootings and attacks to offer their condolences. Former President Joe Biden called Walz right away after the shooting, the governor’s office said. He’s also spoken with Premier Doug Ford of Ontario.
“I’m heartened when people of different views and even different nations can rally together around our shared humanity,” Walz posted Tuesday on X.
“Governor Walz wishes that President Trump would be a President for all Americans, but this tragedy isn’t about Trump or Walz. It’s about the Hortman family, the Hoffman family, and the State of Minnesota, and the Governor remains focused on helping all three heal,” Walz spokesman Teddy Tschann said in a statement.
While Trump has refused to call Walz, a source close to the governor said Vice President JD Vance spoke with the governor Saturday. Walz expressed his appreciation for the ongoing coordination between federal and state enforcement.
Vance Boelter was arrested and charged late Sunday in what’s become the most brutal and deadly act of political violence in Minnesota’s history. Boelter, 57, allegedly gunned down House Democratic Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home in Brooklyn Park and shot and seriously injured state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in their Champlin home.
