Too many Republicans are batshit crazy, embrace conspiracy theories and misinfo after Minnesota shootings

[IrishBubbaLiberal]

Too many Republicans embrace conspiracy theories and misinfo after Minnesota shootings

Too many Republicans embrace conspiracy theories and misinfo after Minnesota shootings

— Raider (@iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social) 2025-06-16T19:32:06.665Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/republican-sen-mike-lee-peddles-misinformation-minnesota-shootings-sus-rcna213217

Too many Republicans embrace conspiracy theories and misinfo after Minnesota shootings

After the murders, Gov. Tim Walz called for "grace and compassion and vision and compromise and decency." Some on the right chose a different course.

June 16, 2025, 7:56 AM CDT
By Steve Benen

(……skip……)

“Melissa Hortman was the core of who our values were,” the governor added. “It’s not about hatred. It’s not about mean tweets. It’s not about demeaning someone. It’s leading with grace and compassion and vision and compromise and decency.”

Walz’s comments came hours after Donald Trump was asked whether he was prepared to call Walz in the wake of the murders. “Well, it’s a terrible thing,” the president told ABC News before quickly adding, “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.”

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As is often the case, the conspiratorial ugliness quickly spread from the Republican base to Republican officials. Commenting on the murders, Sen. Bernie Moreno wrote online, “The degree to which the extreme left has become radical, violent, and intolerant is both stunning and terrifying.”

As HuffPost noted, one of Moreno’s far-right colleagues went even further.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is facing criticism over social media posts mocking this weekend’s deadly shootings in Minnesota targeting Democratic lawmakers. While the suspected killer was still on the run ... Lee fired off a series of messages. ... One suggested the suspect, Vance Boelter, was into “Marxism,” despite reports that he was a religious conservative who had attended rallies in support of President Donald Trump.

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[NewHendoLib]

1. these days, ALL repubs are batshit crazy - or worse

[House of Roberts]

2. They claim what they wish to be true

as if it were true.
Facts aren't important to them.

[SSJVegeta]

3. Ya

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. maga gets set on an idea early and then won't let facts shake them. Early facts were scarce but mixed

They heard Walz appointed the guy to some small time advisory commission, almost ceremonial only in impact. So they thought Aha! He and the Democrat are big pals. Then they read that one of the victims, a D, had voted against the Democrats to block immigrants from accessing health care and they all said Aha! he's knocking Ds off who didn't toe the line. Then the photocopied No Kings sheets confirmed it for them. Aha! a marxist looney! They knew it from the beginning!

But it came out that 1) He had last voted in a Republican primary (not Democratic), 2) He said a bunch of pro-tRump things to his roommate, 3) all the hit list targets were all pro-choice, 4) all were Democrats, and 5) He was anti-progressive (example anti-LGBT) pastor in his own evangelical church movement and gave right-wing aligned sermons on video tape.

But their narrative was set and most maga were saying for more than a day the media is pulling a fast one and lying by calling him pro-tRump.

I just looked now and it seems they have finally changed their tune and aren't claiming he is left or Democratic any more.

[proud patriot]

5. "Witness the Violence of the Right "

was my husband's sign on Saturday

[Skittles]

6. they never take responsibility FOR ANYTHING

it's ALWAYS the fault of Dems, women, POC, gay folk, etc

[Clouds Passing]

7. What dumpy was really saying was "I think I am a terrible president. I think I am a grossly incompetent

person. But I won’t, I won’t call him. I won’t call other people, too.”

[kwolf68]

8. Trump

Goddamn, can't the stupid motherfucker just say something like, "it's very terrible, my thoughts with the families" and move on to something else? He has to use a comment on an assassination by SOMEONE WHO SUPPORTS HIM to bash Governer Walz.

I mean it's NOT hard to just make a general statement of compassion and move on ... IS IT?

[Kingofalldems]

9. They're not crazy.

They are liars. Lying is part of the game plan.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

10. MaddowBlog-In the wake of the shootings in Minnesota, Trump refuses to call Gov. Tim Walz

The governor called for “leading with grace and compassion and vision and compromise and decency.” That proved too difficult for the president.

[e-mail] noted earlier this year that Trump “is at his absolute worst in a crisis,” adding, “He is not a man who is ready to meet important and dangerous moments.”

This came to mind watching Trump explain why he’s refusing to call Gov. Tim Walz. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-06-17T13:35:45.007Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-tim-walz-call-minnesota-shooting-rcna213450

Shortly after the suspected gunman was apprehended, Donald Trump was asked whether he was prepared to reach out to Walz in the wake of the slayings. “Well, it’s a terrible thing,” the president told ABC News before quickly adding, “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.”

Evidently, the Republican has made up his mind. NBC News reported:

Days after a Minnesota state lawmaker was killed and another injured in a ‘politically motivated assassination,’ President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he would not call the state’s governor, eschewing a traditional presidential response to tragedies.

“Why would I call him? I could call and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ The guy doesn’t have a clue,” Trump said, referring to Walz. “He’s a mess. So I could be nice and call, but why waste time?”

The Republican added, “I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out, I’m not calling him.”
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh/post/3lrskn5az4k2s

Link to tweet

......The New York Times’ David French noted earlier this year that Trump “is at his absolute worst in a crisis.” The columnist, whose observation was unrelated to deadly gun violence, added in reference to the president, “He is not a man who is ready to meet important and dangerous moments.”

The Republican keeps proving the point. When there was a deadly hurricane in North Carolina, he flunked a leadership test. When there was a deadly attack in New Orleans, he flunked again. When responding to deadly fires in California, he flunked again. In the wake of the Flight 5342 crash, he flunked again. And in the wake of Saturday’s killings in Minnesota, he’s flunked again.

Over the weekend, the Democratic governor called for “leading with grace and compassion and vision and compromise and decency.” That proved too difficult for Trump.