President Donald Trump defended not demanding flags be flown at half-staff for the Minnesota Democratic lawmakers shot in June, despite ordering them to be lowered following the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk.
Minnesota state representative and former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman, as well as her husband and dog, were murdered at their home over the summer by suspect Vance Luther Boelter. The alleged gunman also shot state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, who were both injured and hospitalized.
“Do you think it would have been fitting to lower the flags to half-staff when Melissa Hortman, the Minnesota House Speaker, was gunned down by an assassin as well?” a reporter asked Trump during a signing ceremony Monday in the Oval Office of the White House.
“Uh, I’m not familiar. The who?” the president responded.
“The Minnesota House Speaker, a Democrat, who was assassinated this summer,” the reporter explained.
“Well, if the governor had asked me to do that, I would have done that. But the governor of Minnesota didn’t ask me,” Trump replied. “I wouldn’t have thought of that. But I would have, if somebody had asked me. People make requests for the lowering of flag and oftentimes, you have to say no, because it would be a lot of lowering, the flag would never be up.”
In the wake of the attacks in Minnesota, Trump said he had no intentions of reaching out to the governor.
“I don’t really call him. He appointed this guy to a position,” Trump had said to reporters after the shootings, referencing a talking point that far-right personalities on the internet had used to make unfounded claims that Boelter had a personal relationship with Walz and was acting as an assassin for the governor to take out members of his own party.
“I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I’m not calling. Why would I call him?” Trump added to the reporters at the time. “I could call him and say, hi, how ya’ doing? The guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. So, you know, I could be nice and call, but why waste time?”
