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Fact Check: Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson stated that the shooting of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband was a political assassination during a press conference on June 16, 2025.

Fact Check: Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson stated that the shooting of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband was a political assassination during a press conference on June 16, 2025.

Published June 17, 2025
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# Fact Check: "Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson stated that the shooting of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband was a political assassination ...

Fact Check: "Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson stated that the shooting of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband was a political assassination during a press conference on June 16, 2025."

What We Know

On June 16, 2025, Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson held a press conference where he addressed the tragic shooting of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman. During this press conference, Thompson explicitly referred to the shootings as "political assassinations," stating, "These were targeted political assassinations the likes of which have never been seen in Minnesota" (source-1). This characterization was made in the context of a broader discussion about the violent nature of the attacks on elected officials and their families, which were described as an attack on democracy itself.

The shooter, Vance Luther Boelter, was charged with multiple counts, including murder and stalking, and was found to have planned the attacks in advance, targeting multiple lawmakers (source-2). Evidence collected from Boelter's vehicle included firearms and notebooks listing potential targets, further substantiating the assertion that these acts were politically motivated (source-4).

Analysis

The claim that Joseph H. Thompson labeled the shooting as a political assassination is supported by multiple credible sources. The press conference statements were reported by various news outlets, including CBS News and CNN, which corroborated Thompson's remarks about the nature of the attacks.

Thompson's use of the term "political assassination" is significant; it reflects the serious implications of the attacks on elected officials and the broader political climate. The context provided by law enforcement officials, including the FBI, emphasizes the premeditated nature of the attacks, which were aimed at instilling fear among public servants (source-3).

The sources reporting on the press conference are reputable and include government announcements and established news organizations, which enhances their reliability. The statements made by Thompson were not only reported but were also part of an official press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, further solidifying their authenticity (source-1).

Conclusion

Verdict: True

The claim that Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson stated that the shooting of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband was a political assassination during a press conference on June 16, 2025, is accurate. Multiple credible sources confirm that Thompson used this specific terminology to describe the nature of the attacks, which were premeditated and targeted against elected officials. This classification underscores the severity of the incidents and their implications for political discourse and safety in the United States.

Sources

  1. After Two-Day Manhunt, Suspect Charged with Shooting Two Minnesota Lawmakers and Their Spouses - Justice.gov
  2. Minnesota suspect attempted to kill two other state lawmakers, officials say - BBC News
  3. Vance Boelter went to other lawmakers' homes the night he killed Melissa Hortman - CBS News
  4. Minnesota shooting suspect had dozens of potential targets, prosecutors say - KSAT
  5. Minnesota shootings suspect faces 6 federal charges and state 1st-degree murder - CNN
  6. Minnesota Shooting Suspect Had Dozens of Potential Targets - US News
  7. FBI News Conference on Federal Charges Against Suspected Assassin of Minnesota State Lawmakers - C-SPAN
  8. U.S. Attorney details federal charges against Vance Boelter - KTT News

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And they deliberately lied and by the way Jake Tapper had a bombshell 01:08 book exposing the incredible scandal that Biden's mental decline was covered up by Jake Tapper. There's a Yiddish word and that truly is how dare we lie and cover up what we all knew. Now I have been asked literally a thousand times by Texans. Was running the country? And I'm going to give 01:40 you the most terrifying answer. I don't know. I genuinely don't know. And not a single Democrat here cares. The most telling proof of Biden's decline came with the signature of the president. The symbol of executive authority that was outsourced to a machine. Mister Wald you're a lawyer who served in the White House Council's Office. You understand the gravity of presidential action. Does the president's signature 02:10 carry legal and constitutional weight under article two? Yes. Is the act of signing an executive order or signing a law or granting a pardon a delegable duty of the president. Uh so in that opinion in 2005 from OLC they said essentially that an autopin could be used by a subordinate but the president's determination as to sign the document can never be delegated. Can that authority 02:41 be transferred to a staff or a machine without the president's explicit authorization? Never. And if you look at the statistics, the statistics are stunning. In 2021, President Biden issued 78 executive orders. None were signed with an auto pen. That first year the presidency, Biden I suppose was relatively lucid and 78 executive orders he signed by hand. The second year, however, we see the auto pen emerged. 03:15 The first auto pen executive order was issued on 15th 2022. After that day 100% of the executive orders issued in 2022 were signed by an autopen. In 2023 Biden issued twenty-four executive orders. 16 were auto penned. In 20twenty-four Biden issued 19. 14 were auto penned. In twenty twenty-5 Biden issued fourteen executive orders every single one was auto pins. 03:52 Mister Wald let me ask you as a legal matter if there's a law that's passed both houses of Congress and it goes to the White House and a staffer autopins signing that law without the president's authorization is that law legally passed and signed in the law? No. If an executive order is issued and a staffer autopins it without the president's authorization, is that executive order legally binding? No. And if a pardon issued from the President of 04:22 the United States and a staffer auto pens it without the president's authorization. Is that pardon legally binding? No. Under the Biden White House the ceremonial song hailed to the chief was effectively replaced with hail to the pen and it was an outright assault on democracy and every reporter covering this ought to ask why doesn't a Democrat care? We heard about the moral responsibilities of a staffer. 04:54 How about an elected senator who knows damn well that if we get into a war and Iran is preparing to fire a nuclear weapon at the United States that the commander in chief is busy playing with his jello and he's not competent to defend ourselves and every member of the cabinet, the chief of staff, the press secretary, and the members of Congress who lied about this on a daily basis with the press's complicity. They are all responsible for subverting democracy. Angry Ted Cruz is perhaps my favorite version of 05:27 Ted Cruz because when he's getting history on it, you might want to take a listen. He is definitely angry that there's some acting going on here in the line of hail to the chief change from hail to the pen that's not a smart line but it's still the truth. The truth is in this video right here ladies and gentlemen. 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Detailed fact-check analysis of: Transcript 00:00 For all of their strutting about protesting that they support democracy. Not a one of them gave a damn about democracy when they pulled Biden off the ballot and dropped Kamala Harris in without a single Democrat primary voter voting for him. And you know what? Not a single Democrat is here today because not a single one of them gives a damn about the fact that they lied to the American people for four years. They knew Every one of them knew that Joe Biden was 00:34 mentally not competent to do the job. The White House Press Secretary. She knew when she stood in front of the American people and lied over and over and over again and they're not here because they can't defend themselves. It wasn't a surprise for four years the White House hid President Biden from Republican Senators. Would not let him meet with us. He served 40 years in this body. We all know him. And they deliberately lied and by the way Jake Tapper had a bombshell 01:08 book exposing the incredible scandal that Biden's mental decline was covered up by Jake Tapper. There's a Yiddish word and that truly is how dare we lie and cover up what we all knew. Now I have been asked literally a thousand times by Texans. Was running the country? And I'm going to give 01:40 you the most terrifying answer. I don't know. I genuinely don't know. And not a single Democrat here cares. The most telling proof of Biden's decline came with the signature of the president. The symbol of executive authority that was outsourced to a machine. Mister Wald you're a lawyer who served in the White House Council's Office. You understand the gravity of presidential action. Does the president's signature 02:10 carry legal and constitutional weight under article two? Yes. Is the act of signing an executive order or signing a law or granting a pardon a delegable duty of the president. Uh so in that opinion in 2005 from OLC they said essentially that an autopin could be used by a subordinate but the president's determination as to sign the document can never be delegated. Can that authority 02:41 be transferred to a staff or a machine without the president's explicit authorization? Never. And if you look at the statistics, the statistics are stunning. In 2021, President Biden issued 78 executive orders. None were signed with an auto pen. That first year the presidency, Biden I suppose was relatively lucid and 78 executive orders he signed by hand. The second year, however, we see the auto pen emerged. 03:15 The first auto pen executive order was issued on 15th 2022. After that day 100% of the executive orders issued in 2022 were signed by an autopen. In 2023 Biden issued twenty-four executive orders. 16 were auto penned. In 20twenty-four Biden issued 19. 14 were auto penned. 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Fact Check: Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson stated that the shooting of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband was a political assassination during a press conference on June 16, 2025. | TruthOrFake Blog