President Donald Trump said overnight that calling Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after a political assassination sent shockwaves through the state would be a “waste of time.”
Trump was asked if he’d reach out to Walz, who was the vice presidential running mate for the Democratic Party’s 2024 nominee Kamala Harris, as he returned to Washington after leaving the G7 summit early.
“I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I’m not calling him,” Trump said. “Why would I call him? I could call and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ Uh, the guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. I could be nice and call, but why waste time?”
Trump told ABC News on Sunday that he “may” call Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after a political assassination sent shockwaves through the state.
The president, who condemned the violence, called the Democratic governor a “terrible governor” and “grossly incompetent” in an interview with ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott.
“Well, it’s a terrible thing. I think he’s a terrible governor. I think he’s a grossly incompetent person. But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too,” the president told Scott.
As of Monday afternoon, Walz had not heard from the president, according to a source.
Minnesota is reeling from two back-to-back shootings. Authorities say a masked gunman disguised as a police officer shot and killed Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, a former speaker of the state House, and her husband Mark, and wounded a state senator and his wife early Saturday.
The accused gunman, 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, was captured late Sunday night.
Walz called the shootings an “act of targeted political violence.”
The president condemned the violence shortly after the attack.
“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place,” he said.
A source close the Walz told ABC News that Walz and Vice President JD Vance spoke regarding the shootings.
“The Governor expressed appreciation for the ongoing coordination between federal law enforcement and Minnesota public safety officials,” the person said.
A source told ABC News on Sunday that former President Joe Biden called Walz “right away.”
A source familiar with the call described the conversation on Monday as “compassionate.” The pair spoke about grief, Biden offered his condolences and “discussed Hortman’s legacy,” the source said, Biden had met Hortman and told Walz he “was a fan,” the source said.
The White House said in a statement that the FBI and the attorney general’s office will investigate the shootings and “will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law.”
Police say the suspected gunman allegedly had dozens of Minnesota Democrats on a target list, which was retrieved from the his vehicle.
The assassination comes amid growing concerns about political violence in the U.S. following the recent killing of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, the arson attack at the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and the attempted assassination of Trump last summer.
ABC News’ Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.
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