President Donald Trump said Tuesday morning he doesn’t want to call Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after the shooting of two state Democratic lawmakers and their spouses in his state over the weekend.
“I don’t want to call him,” Trump told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Air Force One, referring to the Democratic governor who was then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate during last year’s campaign.
“He appointed this guy,” Trump added, repeating baseless rhetoric circulating on the right that’s attempted to tie Walz to the shooter.
Walz in 2019 appointed Vance Boelter —the suspectin the shootings whowas arrestedSunday after the“largest manhunt in the state’s history” — to the state’s Workforce Development Board, a group of business owners who consult lawmakers. But such boards, which are numerous in Minnesota, are not particularly high-profile andgenerally feature a bipartisan cast of characters.
Boelter, who faces six federal and four statecharges, had anapparent hit list of nearly 70 targets, which were largely Democrats or figures with ties to Planned Parenthood or the abortion rights movement. A longtime friend, David Carlson, said Boelter isa conservative who supported Trumpand opposed abortion rights.
“I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out,” Trump continued on Tuesday without holding back in his assessment of Walz.
“I’m not calling him. Why would I call him? I could call and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ Uh, the guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. I could be nice and call, but why waste time?” Trump said on his way back to Washington from a G7 summit in Canada.
Teddy Tschann, a spokesperson for Walz, said in a statement: “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 continued, referring to the Democratic lawmakers who were shot.
However, Trump struck a slightly different tone on Sunday in a phone interview with ABC News, saying that he “may” call the governor about the targeted attacks in Minnesota against Democratic lawmakers.
“Well, it’s a terrible thing. I think he’s a terrible governor. I think he’s a grossly incompetent person. But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too,” the president told ABC News.
CNN reported that Walz spoke with Vice President JD Vance Saturday about the targeted attacks, according to a source close to the governor.
Walz expressed to Vance an “appreciation for the ongoing coordination between federal law enforcement and Minnesota public safety officials,” the source said.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Aaron Blake and Jake Tapper contributed to this report.