Minnesota Lawmaker Confronts GOP Senator Over 'Brutal' Tweets He Made Following Minnesota Assassination
"I wanted him to hear from me directly about how painful that was," Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith said

A Democratic Minnesota senator confronted a Republican colleague about social media posts he made in the wake of the assassination of a Minnesota state representative and her husband.
Sen. Tina Smith confronted Utah Sen. Mike Lee regarding two social media posts he made, in which he used the murder of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband John to take jabs at the the opposing political party.
Following a Senate vote, Smith, a Democrat, crashed a GOP meeting where Republican senators were discussing a large piece of legislation addressing taxation in order to locate Lee and pull him aside.
The two legislators shared a conversation in the hallway, after which Smith left, declining to speak to reporters.
Andddd she found him https://t.co/mXaTYaj1co pic.twitter.com/ugSPoBMnPw
— Al Weaver (@alweaver22) June 16, 2025
"Let me gather myself," she told journalists asking her for comment after the incident, according to the Daily Boulder.
"I wanted him to hear from me directly," Smith later said regarding her conversation with Lee. "About how painful that was and how brutal that was to see that on what was just a horrible, brutal weekend."
"It's hard for me to characterize exactly what he said. He didn't say a lot, frankly," she added. She continued to state that "seemed a little surprised to be confronted."
Social media users applauded Smith for the confrontation and urged her to scold Lee.
"She ripping him a new one????" said one user.
She ripping him a new one????
— T.A.C.O. (@Eyekanguggelto) June 16, 2025
"He unpinned the marxists/mask tweet. So she definitely rattled something. I wonder what makes people as craven as Mike Lee?" said another.
He unpinned the marxists/mask tweet. So she definitely rattled something. I wonder what makes people as craven as Mike Lee?
— Political Punk (@actingliketommy) June 16, 2025
"Queen s***," one user applauded.
Queen shit
— Jack Cocchiarella (@JDCocchiarella) June 16, 2025
"She bout that action," another wrote.
She bout that action
— Crosby Tatum (@crosbyt123) June 16, 2025
Lee took to social media on Sunday to post about shooting suspect Vance Boelter, who has been arrested for the murders of Hortman and her husband.
"This is what happens when Marxists don't get their way," Lee wrote alongside an image of the suspect in a police uniform wearing a face mask.
This is what happens
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) June 15, 2025
When Marxists don’t get their way pic.twitter.com/VcZ0XtMiBA
The senator then posted more images of Boelter to X.
"Nightmare on Waltz Street," he wrote in reference to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Nightmare on Waltz Street pic.twitter.com/Nkifu7cKPA
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) June 15, 2025
Originally published on Latin Times
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