A spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says the governor wishes Donald Trump would be a “president for all Americans.” That statement comes after Trump said that he won’t call Walz after two Democratic lawmakers were shot, one fatally. Trump says doing so would “waste time.” Trump told reporters he could “be nice” and call the governor, “but why waste time?” Walz was the 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate and he often branded Trump as “weird.” Walz said on social media that he’s heartened at times of tragedy “when people of different views and even different nations can rally together around our shared humanity,.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday ruled out calling Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after the targeted shootings of two state lawmakers, saying that to do so would “waste time.”
A spokesperson for Walz said the governor wishes Trump “would be a President for all Americans.”
One lawmaker and her husband were killed, and the second legislator and his wife sustained serious injuries in the shootings early Saturday. A suspect surrendered to police on Sunday.
The Republican president spoke to reporters early Tuesday aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington after abruptly leaving an international summit in Canada because of rising tensions in the Middle East between Israel and Iran. Asked if he had called Walz yet, Trump said the Democratic governor is “slick” and “whacked out” and, “I’m not calling him.”
Presidents often reach out to governors, mayors and other elected officials at times of tragedy, such as after mass killings or natural disasters, to offer condolences and, if needed, federal assistance.
On the plane, Trump sounded uninterested in having such contact with Walz, who was the vice presidential running mate for 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump. During the campaign, Walz often branded Trump and other Republican politicians as “just weird.”
“I don’t really call him. He’s slick — he appointed this guy to a position," Trump said. "I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I’m not calling him. why would I call him?
“I could call him and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’” Trump continued. “The guy doesn’t have a clue. He's a, he's a mess. So, you know, I could be nice and call him but why waste time?”
Teddy Tschann, a spokesperson for Walz, responded Tuesday with a statement that said, "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,” Tschann said.
Trump's mention of “this guy” being appointed to a position appeared to be a reference to Vance Boelter, the suspect who surrendered to police after a nearly two-day manhunt in Minnesota.
Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman, records show, though it was unclear if or how well they knew each other.
Authorities say Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were seriously wounded in a shooting a few miles away from the home of former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who was fatally shot along with her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs.
Friends and former colleagues interviewed by The Associated Press described Boelter as a devout Christian who attended an evangelical church and went to campaign rallies for Trump.
Federal prosecutors charged Boelter with murder and stalking, which could result in a death sentence if convicted. His lead attorney has declined to comment.
Walz had no public appearances on Tuesday, but on Monday he thanked Ontario Premier Doug Ford on social media for his call expressing condolences to Hortman's family and the people of Minnesota.
“In times of tragedy, I’m heartened when people of different views and even different nations can rally together around our shared humanity,” Walz wrote.
In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, also on Monday, Walz said he wasn't surprised by the lack of outreach from Trump, saying, “I think I understand where that's at.”
Walz said he has spoken with Vice President JD Vance and was “grateful” for the call and also had talked with former President Joe Biden and Harris.
“I’m always open to, you know, people expressing gratitude. Vice President Vance assured us, and he delivered, that the FBI would be there as partners with us to get it done," Walz said. "That was what needed to be done.”
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This story has been corrected to show it was Hortman, not Hoffman, who was killed, and it was Hoffman, not Hortman, who served on the state workforce development board with Boelter.
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Associated Press writers Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Md., and Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
