Fact Check: Utah Senator Mike Lee claimed on social media that the man who murdered Minnesota Democratic State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband John was a member of the radical left.

Fact Check: Mike Lee's Claim About Minnesota Murderer

What We Know

On social media, Utah Senator Mike Lee claimed that the man who murdered Minnesota Democratic State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, John, was a member of the radical left. This assertion came shortly after the tragic event, where the suspect, Vance Boelter, was charged with their murders. However, initial reports indicate that Boelter's political affiliation is unclear; he was listed in some records as having "no party preference" or "other" and is described by acquaintances as a religious conservative who supports President Trump and is opposed to abortion (source-2).

Lee's posts on social media included inflammatory remarks suggesting that the violence was a result of leftist ideology, stating, "This is what happens When Marxists don’t get their way" (source-2). Following backlash, he later issued a more conciliatory statement on his official Senate account, condemning the violence and calling for unity (source-2).

Analysis

The claim made by Senator Lee lacks substantial evidence and appears to be a politically motivated assertion rather than a fact-based conclusion. The suspect's political affiliation has not been definitively established, with reports indicating he may not align with the radical left as Lee suggested. In fact, acquaintances have characterized him as a conservative, which contradicts Lee's framing (source-2).

Furthermore, the backlash against Lee's comments was significant, with various political figures, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, condemning his remarks as unfounded and inappropriate given the circumstances of the tragedy (source-4). The reliability of Lee's claim is further undermined by the lack of credible evidence linking the suspect to any radical leftist group or ideology. Instead, the narrative presented by Lee seems to be an attempt to politicize a tragic event for partisan gain.

Conclusion

Verdict: False. Senator Mike Lee's claim that the murderer of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman was a member of the radical left is not supported by credible evidence. The suspect's political affiliations remain unclear and do not align with Lee's assertions. His comments appear to be an attempt to exploit a tragic event for political purposes, which has drawn significant criticism from both sides of the political aisle.

Sources

1. Mike Lee US Senator for Utah
2. Mike Lee Draws Outrage for Posts Blaming Assassination on the Far Left
3. Live Updates: Minnesota Suspect Also Went to Homes of 2 ...
4. Klobuchar condemns Mike Lee's claims about Minnesota suspect
5. Mike Lee, prominent Republicans leap to baseless claims ...
6. Klobuchar condemns Mike Lee's posts about Minnesota ...
7. GOP Senator's Minnesota Assassination Comments Spark Backlash
8. 'Dumbest tweet of the day': Senator slammed for posts ...