Trump wouldn't call Minnesota governor after Democrat was slain but now blames him for raised flags

"President Donald Trump claimed Monday that he would have ordered flags lowered to half-staff following the assassination of a Minnesota Democratic state lawmaker this summer had he been asked by the state's governor. But Trump at the time refused to even call Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to express his condolences, saying it would only waste time. Trump made the remark during an unrelated Oval Office event as he defended his decision to lower U.S. flags after last week's slaying of conservative activist Charlie Kirk."

"After announcing that he was deploying the National Guard to Memphis, Trump was asked Monday why he signed an order lowering flags nationwide after Kirk's killing during an event in Utah, but didn't do so after former Democratic state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in June. Trump replied, Well, if the governor had asked me to do that, I would have done that. But the governor of Minnesota didn't ask me, the president said. He continued, I wouldn't have thought of that. But I would have if somebody had asked me, and added: Had the governor asked me to do that, I would have done that gladly. Walz's spokesperson did not immediately comment on the president's remarks."

"Walz tweeted a video call for unity on Monday evening that featured references to Hortman's assassination and the recent shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church that killed two students and injured 21 people. The video included feel-good scenes from the recent Minnesota State Fair but didn't mention Kirk. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks outside the Annunciation Catholic School following a shooting Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, in Minneapolis."

President Donald Trump said he would have ordered U.S. flags lowered to half-staff after the assassination of a Minnesota Democratic state lawmaker if the state's governor had asked. Trump did not call Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to express condolences at the time, saying such a call would have been a waste of time. Trump defended lowering flags after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and said he would not have thought to lower flags absent a gubernatorial request. Walz tweeted a video calling for unity that referenced the lawmaker's assassination and a Minneapolis church shooting that killed two students.

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