The case of Vance Boelter—the man who assassinated Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband while wounding State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife—was swiftly weaponized by media outlets and Democrats. Early coverage pointed the finger squarely at Republicans and former President Trump. But newly released details about a letter Boelter left behind have upended the entire narrative—and perhaps explain why the story quickly vanished from the news cycle.

Boelter’s letter, discovered in his vehicle shortly after the June 14 shooting, shatters the assumptions made in the immediate aftermath. According to the Star Tribune, Boelter believed he was acting on behalf of Democratic Governor Tim Walz—a man who, until recently, served as Kamala Harris’s running mate during the 2024 presidential campaign.

The contents of the letter reveal a delusional obsession. Boelter reportedly convinced himself that by killing certain individuals, he was clearing the path for Walz to run for the U.S. Senate. This belief is particularly irrational considering Walz had already publicly ruled out a Senate bid following Sen. Tina Smith’s retirement announcement.

While the mainstream press initially implied Boelter was inspired by right-wing rhetoric, including Trump’s, the facts don’t align with that theory. Instead, Boelter appears to have been a mentally disturbed individual with an unhealthy fixation on a Democrat leader.

Importantly, Boelter had once been appointed by Walz to a government workforce board, though the nature and depth of their relationship remain unclear. Despite this tenuous connection, the killer appears to have manufactured a fantasy in which his violent acts were sanctioned political moves designed to elevate Walz’s career.

No one in their right mind believes Walz encouraged or desired such actions, and to be clear, the governor bears no direct responsibility for Boelter’s insanity. However, critics are now pointing out that Walz knew about the contents of the letter from day one. The document was recovered from Boelter’s abandoned car immediately following the shooting. Yet, for days, Walz and other Democrats allowed the media narrative to suggest that right-wing extremism was to blame.

During this time, left-leaning networks like CNN and MSNBC broadcast commentary accusing Trump and his allies of fostering a political environment ripe for violence. These same networks failed to correct the record once the letter’s contents became public knowledge.

Even more troubling is that in his public statements, Walz never corrected the false assumptions that were swirling around the shooter’s motives. He could have stated that the letter pointed to a deranged individual acting on a fantasy involving himself—but instead, he remained silent while speculation against conservatives ran wild.

To many observers, this isn’t just a case of miscommunication—it’s a glaring example of political opportunism. Rather than clarify the situation and prevent false accusations, Minnesota’s top Democrats watched as their media allies used a tragedy to smear their opposition. The silence was strategic.

RedState’s Bonchie, who broke down the letter’s revelations, summed it up bluntly: “Crazy people do crazy things, and Boelter was irrational and confused at best. But the governor should have been honest about that instead of letting Democrats and the press go wild, pretending this was Trump’s fault.”

In the aftermath of political violence, clarity matters. So does integrity. While Boelter’s twisted logic makes clear he was unwell, the refusal to shut down misleading narratives has left a stain on Minnesota’s political leadership. And it raises troubling questions about how far some will go to exploit tragedy for political gain.