Federal Senator Mike Lee (Republican from Utah) faced criticism from Democratic lawmakers after attributing the Minnesota shooting to “Marxists” in a social media post on Sunday (June 15th).
In a post on X early Sunday morning, Lee wrote, “This is what happens when Marxists don’t get their way.” He did not provide further explanation in his post.
Previously, Lee commented in another post, stating, “Marxism kills. Americans must reject it — always.” He also shared Elon Musk’s comments on the Minnesota shooting incident, where Musk described the far left as “murderously violent.”
Following the shooting incident, Lee posted on his X account, speculating that the perpetrator was not a supporter of “MAGA” (Make America Great Again). 24 hours later, his office released a statement condemning the senseless violence and offering prayers for the victims and their families.
Federal Senator Tina Smith (Democratic from Minnesota) confronted Lee in the Senate hallway on Monday (June 16th) about his remarks, expressing the pain his statements caused to her and others who see the incident as a brutal attack.
Smith told reporters that she wanted to convey to Lee the impact of his words on her and her colleagues, as well as those across the country who viewed it as a violent attack.
Other Democratic lawmakers also criticized Lee’s posts. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demanded that Lee delete the posts and apologize to the victims and their families, calling the comments “reckless and damaging to his position of dignity.” Schumer stated that it was highly irresponsible for a senator to incite division with lies while the suspect was still at large.
Another federal Senator from Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar, expressed shock at Lee’s X posts, stating, “I will talk to him about it…I want to tell him that what happened here is not funny…This is not a joke.”
Although law enforcement representatives stated that the suspect Vance Boelter targeted Democratic officials specifically, authorities have not commented on the motive of the shooting suspect.
Lee declined to comment to reporters at the Capitol, with his Republican colleagues avoiding criticism of his posts.
Senator Markwayne Mullin (Republican from Oklahoma) warned that the ongoing statements from both sides could fuel tensions.
Senator Thom Tillis (Republican from North Carolina) stated that any remarks other than condemning violence were unacceptable to him.
Senator Mike Rounds (Republican from South Dakota) expressed sorrow over the loss of the lawmakers, saying he did not know what Senator Lee said, but most of them were deeply saddened by the deaths of the lawmakers.
Senator Tommy Tuberville (Republican from Alabama) reflected on his sports background, mentioning the competitive nature in everyone and the tendency to fight back, emphasizing that no one would give up.
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Boelter had a list of prominent Minnesota Democratic figures who support abortion rights and abortion service providers, despite his strong anti-abortion views. Boelter’s roommate and friend David Carlson told reporters on Sunday that Boelter was a Born-Again Christian.
(This article references reports from POLITICO and The Salt Lake Tribune)