Klobuchar had dinner with Minnesota pol hours before she was murdered Saturday
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar dined with former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman shortly before before she was tragically gunned down in her home alongside her husband.
Klobuchar (D-Minn.) was informed about the heartbreaking loss by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) around 5 a.m. Saturday.
'I wish everyone had known her like we knew her,' Klobuchar told Politico. 'I was there when she was doorknocking in the beginning. … I was in county office and she was seeking the legislative office.'
'She was pretty no-nonsense,' the senator added. 'But in a kind way, with a lot of humor.'
Hortman, who served as state speaker from 2019 until January 2025, was killed alongside her husband, Mark, early Saturday in a shooting officials say 'appears to be a politically motivated assassination.'
4 Former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman was a very talented legislator, Sen. Amy Klobuchar reflected.
MelissaHortman/Facebook
4 Authorities have yet to apprehend the suspect, Vance Boelter.
AP
The suspect, identified as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, dressed like a police officer when carrying out the attack, according to authorities. A massive manhunt is underway for Boelter.
Authorities put out an alert in South Dakota and believe he's 'in the vicinity' of the Midwest, Klobuchar said.
Boelter is also accused of shooting and badly wounding Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
The sicko left behind a manifesto naming 70 politicians, such as Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and the state's congressional delegation. Klobuchar said she was not briefed that she was a potential target.
The deranged killer also had 'No Kings' flyers in his vehicle, referring to protests against President Trump held across the country Saturday.
Boelter had previously been appointed to key posts by Minnesota governors, including a position on the Workforce Development Council in 2016 under then-Gov. Mark Dayton, and again to that board by Walz in 2019, according to documents.
4 Sen. Amy Klobuchar recieved bolstered security in the wake of the attack.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
Klobuchar was five years into her tenure as County Attorney of Hennepin County in 2004 when Hortman first ascended into Minnesota's House of Representatives.
Around that time, Hortman was juggling her responsibilities of being a politician with teaching Sunday school and leading a Girl Scout troop, Klobuchar recounted.
That ability to manage with two kids led her to do 'a really good job managing legislators,' the senator reflected to Politico.
Klobuchar recounted how Hortman turned the mute button off that the speaker before her used to stop other lawmakers from interrupting.
'She's like 'I don't need that. I can use the gavel,'' Klobuchar recalled. 'She was just such a skilled legislator at bringing people together.'
Klobuchar said she hopes the increased levels of political violence don't deter good people from seeking office.
'I hope good people still run or our democracy won't stand,' she told the outlet.
'This has gotten totally out of hand,' Klobuchar told CNN's 'State of the Union' Sunday. 'With threats against members of Congress in 2016, there were like 1,700 of them. Last year, over 9,000 of them.'
4 The suspect had allegedly worn a mask in addition to a law enforcement uniform.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called for bolstered security for Klobuchar and fellow retiring Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) in the wake of the horrifying assassination.
'I asked Capitol Police—as I did earlier this week for Senator Padilla—to immediately increase security for both senators. I thank the Sergeant at Arms and the Capitol Police for increasing security for all three,' Schumer announced Saturday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
‘No Kings' Was Biggest Protest in U.S. History: Data Analyst
The 'No Kings' protests in every state may have been the biggest day of demonstrations in American history, a data analyst has suggested. 'Based on hundreds of crowd-sourced records of No Kings Day event turnout, and extrapolating for the cities where we don't have data yet, it looks like roughly 4-6m people protested Trump across the U.S. yesterday,' independent data journalist G Elliott posted to X Sunday. For reference, that'd mean Saturday's demonstrations featured 1-2 percent of the total population of 340 million taking to the streets in more than 2,000 cities to voice their opposition to the increasingly authoritarian, far-right policies the president has pursued since assuming office for the second time. The 'No Kings' rallies follow after a spate of demonstrations against immigration raids carried out in Los Angeles and the surrounding area last week, to which Trump deployed 4,000 members of the National Guard and 700 Marines over the objection of California Governor Gavin Newsom. In a full report on the figures from Saturday's demonstrations, Morris added that mounting backlash against Trump's second term has also witnessed 'dramatically more protest activity' than during his first stint in the White House. Since his inauguration in January, Trump's administration has witnessed more than 15,000 protests and rallies, representing a threefold increase in the number of public demonstrations that had taken place by this point in 2017. As the nationwide anti-government rallies unfolded, the president attended a Washington, D.C., parade to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army, which also happened to coincide with his 79th birthday. The White House downplayed the scale of turnout at the anti-Trump protests while playing up the number of people who attended the military parade on Saturday. Trump's Director of Communications, Steven Cheung, claimed in a series of X posts that 'over 250,000 people' attended the 250th anniversary event, whereas the 'No King's [sic] Protests have been a complete and utter failure with minuscule attendance.'
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
'Innocent bystander' fatally shot during 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City, police say
'Innocent bystander' fatally shot during 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City, police say Show Caption Hide Caption 'No Kings' rallies across US draw big crowds to protest Trump Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets across the country in coordinated "No Kings" marches to protest President Trump. An "innocent bystander" was killed after being caught in the crossfire between a person who pulled out a rifle at demonstrators and members of a peacekeeping team for the "No Kings" protest in Salt Lake City on June 14, authorities said. The shooting occurred at around 7:56 p.m. local time while a large crowd of demonstrators marched through downtown Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake City Police Department said in an update on June 15. Officers who were facilitating traffic during the protest, which drew about 10,000 people, reported hearing gunfire. The gunshots caused hundreds of people to flee for safety, with some hiding behind barriers and running into nearby parking garages and businesses, according to the Salt City Police Department. Officers immediately responded to the scene, secured the area, and searched for any active threats, police said. Officers discovered a man who sustained a gunshot wound and provided emergency care. The man, who was identified on June 15 as Utah resident Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, later died at the hospital. Police said the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner will determine the official cause and manner of death. A preliminary investigation revealed that Ah Loo was participating in the "No Kings" demonstration and is believed to be an "innocent bystander who was not the intended target of the gunfire," according to police. Police accused Arturo Gamboa, 24, of brandishing a rifle at demonstrators and running away from two peacekeepers, who ordered him to drop the weapon. Police said Gamboa and Ah Loo were both struck by gunfire after one of the peacekeepers fired three rounds. "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the 39-year-old man who was killed, and with the many community members who were impacted by this traumatic incident," Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said in a statement. "When this shooting happened, the response of our officers and detectives was fast, brave, and highly coordinated. It speaks to the caliber of this great department and our law enforcement partners." The incident remains under investigation, police said, adding that they are also looking into the actions of the peacekeepers. 'Atrocious': Lawyers, family and friends of detainees describe ICE detention Police: Suspect taken into custody on murder charge After officers reported hearing gunfire, they were notified at about 8 p.m. of another man with a gunshot wound in the area. Police said they found the man, who was dressed in all black clothing and wearing a mask, crouching among a group of people. As officers approached the scene, police said witnesses pointed out a nearby firearm, which was described as an AR-15-style rifle. Officers also discovered a gas mask, additional black clothing, and a backpack in the area. The man was later identified as Gamboa and was transported to a local hospital, according to police. Investigators later took Gamboa into custody, and he was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on a murder charge. Officers also detained two men who were wearing neon green vests and carrying handguns, police said. The men were identified as members of the peacekeeping team for the "No Kings" demonstration. The two peacekeepers told investigators that they saw Gamboa leave the crowd of demonstrators and move into a secluded area behind a wall, which they found suspicious, according to police. One of the peacekeepers told investigators that he saw Gamboa pull out an AR-15-style rifle from a backpack. The peacekeepers then drew their firearms and ordered Gamboa to drop the rifle, police said. Witnesses reported to authorities that they saw Gamboa lift the rifle and run toward the crowd while holding the weapon in a firing position. One of the peacekeepers fired three rounds, according to police. One round struck Gamboa, and another round hit Ah Loo. "Detectives have not been able to determine, at this time, why Gamboa pulled out his rifle and began to manipulate it or why he ran from the peacekeepers when they confronted him," police said. "Detectives have developed probable cause that Gamboa acted under circumstances that showed a depraved indifference to human life, knowingly engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death and ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member." Has Trump overblown threat of protests? Residents, local officials say yes. Shooting occurs during widespread 'No Kings' protests "No Kings" demonstrations across the United States drew large crowds on June 14. The protests, which were mostly calm and peaceful, were held in opposition to President Donald Trump's policies and coincided with the controversial parade for the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary in Washington, D.C. A demonstration in Northern Virginia, about 70 miles from Washington, D.C., was met with violence after a man intentionally drove an SUV through a crowd of departing protesters, striking at least one person, police said. Police in Los Angeles hit protesters with batons, fired tear gas, and ordered a large crowd in downtown to disperse; authorities said they were responding to people throwing "rocks, bricks, bottles," and "fireworks" at officials. Meanwhile, authorities said a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband were killed and another lawmaker and his wife were injured at their homes by a man impersonating law enforcement in what Gov. Tim Walz called a "politically motivated assassination." In a statement, the "No Kings" group said it was adhering to guidance from the Minnesota State Patrol and Walz, who urged people not to attend any rallies on June 14. Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Sarah D. Wire, Jeanine Santucci, and Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
President Trump directs ICE to expand deportations in large Democratic-run cities
President Trump directs ICE to expand deportations in large Democratic-run cities Show Caption Hide Caption 'No Kings' rallies across US draw big crowds to protest Trump Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets across the country in coordinated "No Kings" marches to protest President Trump. WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to ramp up efforts to detain and deport migrants from large Democratic-run cities, escalating his illegal immigration crackdown despite widespread protests against the policy. Trump called for an expanded deportation blitz in an evening June 15 post on Truth Social, challenging ICE officers to "do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History." His order came after large protests in response to ICE raids erupted in Los Angeles last week, prompting him to deploy the National Guard and Marines to quell rioters, and spread to cities across the country during the "No Kings" rallies on June 14. Trump presidency: Illegal border crossings at record lows as Trump crackdown spreads Trump said to achieve his deportation goals, "we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America's largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside." "These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens," he said. Trump said he wants ICE officers to focus on "our crime ridden and deadly Inner Cities, and those places where Sanctuary Cities play such a big role," adding that: "You don't hear about Sanctuary Cities in our Heartland!" "Now go, GET THE JOB DONE!" Trump added. 'Our farmers are being hurt badly': Trump vows changes to immigration crackdown to protect migrant farmers, hotel workers Trump sent a much different signal about his deportation aims last week when he promised future policy changes to protect migrant farmers, hotel workers, and others in the leisure industry who have been among those deported. Trump cited hearing from people in the farm and leisure industries concerned about worker shortages because of mass deportations. "Our farmers are being hurt badly," Trump said on June 12. "You know, they have very good workers. They've worked for them for 20 years. They're not citizens, but they've turned out to be, you know, great." Even before Trump's latest charge to ICE, the agency had dramatically expanded its deportation efforts after the White House demanded the agency increase its arrests of migrants in the country illegally, Reuters reported. Daily quotas increased from 1,000 arrests per day to 3,000. Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, said in late May that the administration had deported around 200,000 people over four months ‒ a total that lags behind the deportations during a similar period under former President Joe Biden. The White House has said the discrepancy is the result of fewer migrants coming to the border. Migrants seeking to cross the U.S.-Mexico border have dropped significantly during Trump's first five months of his second term. Border Patrol agents have seen their monthly encounters of migrants and asylum seekers drop to fewer than 10,000, down from more than 100,000 one year ago. Contributing: Reuters Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
