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Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) deleted controversial social media posts after facing an outcry from Democratic lawmakers who said his comments about the murder of a Minnesota state legislator and her husband were cruel, inflammatory, and inappropriate.
Lee’s now-deleted posts on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account referenced the fatal Saturday shooting of Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in apparent jest. In one post, Lee wrote, “This is what happens when Marxists don’t get their way,” while another included a photo of the suspected gunman, captioned, “Nightmare on Waltz Street,” a play on words seemingly targeting Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota.
Democrats Demand Accountability
The posts drew swift condemnation, including from Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), a personal friend of Rep. Hortman. Smith said she directly confronted Lee about the impact of his words.
“I needed him to hear from me directly what impact I think his cruel statement had on me, his colleague,” Smith told reporters.
Smith added she was glad the posts were removed but said she has not received an apology and doesn’t know why Lee chose to delete them.
“I wanted him to know how much pain that caused me and the other people in my state and I think around the country who think that this was a brutal attack,” she said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also weighed in, saying he asked Lee to remove the posts, but “he wouldn’t listen to me.”
Tone Shift on Official Account
Though the offending posts were eventually taken down, at least one post reading “Marxism kills” remained on Lee’s personal account as of Tuesday afternoon.
On his official Senate X account, however, Lee struck a dramatically different tone.
“These hateful attacks have no place in Utah, Minnesota, or anywhere in America,” he wrote. “Please join me in condemning this senseless violence, and praying for the victims and their families.”
Lee has not publicly commented on the posts or offered an explanation for deleting them. His office did not respond to request for comment.
More Details Emerge in the Attack
Federal prosecutors say the suspect, Vance Boelter, not only fatally shot Rep. Hortman and her husband but also injured state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in a separate attack.
Boelter was reportedly carrying notebooks in his car that listed over 45 state and federal elected officials—mostly Democrats, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson.
A federal criminal complaint describes Boelter’s writings as ideologically motivated, though investigators are still determining his specific affiliations or motivations.
A Broader Political Reckoning
The backlash against Lee’s remarks has spurred a wider conversation about political rhetoric, particularly in moments of national trauma.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who has served with Lee on the Judiciary Committee, said she spoke with him privately about the matter.
“Sen. Lee and I had a good discussion, and I’m very glad he took it down,” she said, without elaborating further.
But Smith’s office was more pointed. In an email shared with NBC News, Smith’s deputy chief of staff Ed Shelleby sharply criticized Lee’s behavior:
“Is this how your team measures success? Using the office of U.S. Senator to post not just one but a series of jokes about an assassination — is that a successful day of work on Team Lee?”
Ongoing Fallout
As investigations into the deadly shooting continue, pressure is building for Lee to offer a formal apology or explanation for his actions. So far, no apology has been issued.
For Democrats, the episode has underscored growing concerns about escalating political violence and the irresponsibility of rhetoric from elected officials.
“We are at a tipping point,” Smith said. “Words have consequences. And in the aftermath of such brutal violence, we need leaders who unite, not provoke.”
