Fact Check: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz referred to the death of Melissa Hortman as a 'political assassination' and ordered flags to fly at half staff in her honor.

Fact Check: "Minnesota Governor Tim Walz referred to the death of Melissa Hortman as a 'political assassination' and ordered flags to fly at half staff in her honor."

What We Know

The claim that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz referred to the death of Melissa Hortman as a "political assassination" is misleading. In a recent statement, Governor Walz did address violence targeted at democratic lawmakers and mentioned an assassination, but he did not specifically name Melissa Hortman in this context. Instead, he referred to the broader issue of political violence affecting lawmakers, stating, "This is a targeted political assassination" in relation to a shooting incident involving lawmakers, not specifically Hortman (source-1).

Additionally, there is no evidence that Governor Walz ordered flags to fly at half staff specifically in honor of Melissa Hortman. The statement focused on the need to address the violence against lawmakers and did not mention any specific actions regarding flag protocol for Hortman (source-1).

Analysis

The claim appears to conflate two separate issues: the mention of a "political assassination" and the act of lowering flags to half staff. Governor Walz's statement was a response to a violent incident that had implications for multiple lawmakers, and while he did use strong language regarding the nature of the violence, it was not directed at Hortman specifically.

The source of the claim lacks specificity and context, which is crucial for understanding the governor's remarks. The statement from Walz is credible and comes from an official government press release, which typically holds a high level of reliability. However, the interpretation of his words as referring specifically to Melissa Hortman is not supported by the text of the statement itself (source-1).

Furthermore, the absence of any official announcement regarding flags being lowered for Hortman further undermines the claim. The lack of corroborating evidence from reliable news sources or official announcements about such an action indicates that this part of the claim is also unfounded.

Conclusion

Verdict: False
The claim that Governor Tim Walz referred to the death of Melissa Hortman as a "political assassination" and ordered flags to fly at half staff in her honor is false. While he did address the issue of political violence and used the term "political assassination," it was not specifically in reference to Hortman. Additionally, there is no evidence to support that flags were ordered to be lowered in her honor.

Fact Check: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz referred to the death of Melissa Hortman as a 'political assassination' and ordered flags to fly at half staff in her honor.