Trump has not called Walz after Minnesota shootings, attacks him as 'grossly incompetent'

Allison Kite, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jun 15, 2025

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President Donald Trump had not called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Sunday afternoon following the assassination of one state lawmaker and attempted slaying of another. Instead, Trump attacked Walz, calling him a “terrible governor.”

An ABC News reporter asked the president Sunday morning whether he would call Walz.

“Well, it’s a terrible thing. I think he’s a terrible governor,” ABC News reported Trump said. “I think he’s a grossly incompetent person. But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too.”

Teddy Tschann, a spokesman for Walz, said Sunday afternoon that Trump hadn’t called Walz, but former President Joe Biden called “right away” on Saturday.

A source close to Walz said the governor spoke with Vice President JD Vance Saturday and expressed his appreciation of the ongoing coordination between federal law enforcement and Minnesota public safety officials.

Police were still searching Sunday afternoon for a shooter who assassinated Minnesota House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark and shot and injured Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. They suspect Vance Luther Boelter of the crimes.

Walz has been a favorite target for Trump following the governor’s unsuccessful bid for vice president on Kamala Harris’ ticket. Last week, Trump took aim at Walz over the governor’s response to riots in Minneapolis after Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in 2020.

The president called Walz “a very dumb person” and a “low-IQ individual like many Democrats are.”

Walz has also been critical of Trump in his recent travels across the country, holding town hall-style meetings in Republican districts. He’s tried to position himself as a national voice in his party responding to the Trump administration.

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