WASHINGTON – Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee deleted his controversial social media posts on the assassination of Minnesota Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman after facing backlash from across the aisle.
The posts, which came a day after Hortman and her husband were fatally shot in their home on June 14, baselessly tied the attack to the political left.
“This is what happens. When Marxists don’t get their way,” Lee had written on his personal X account with an image of suspect Vance Boelter. In a follow-up tweet, he wrote, “Nightmare on Waltz Street,” in an apparent misspelled reference to Minnesota Democrat Gov. Tim Walz.
Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, a friend of Hortman, had confronted Lee about the posts at the Capitol, telling CNN after their exchange that “he needs to apologize.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele also condemned the posts.
Boelter’s friends have described him as a devout Christian who’s attended President Donald Trump’s campaign rallies, according to the Associated Press. He was registered to vote as a Republican in 2004 while residing in Oklahoma, the outlet reported.
Lee did not respond to reporters’ questions about the posts or his conversation with Smith.
USA TODAY reached out to Lee’s office for comment.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GOP senator deletes controversial posts on Minnesota lawmaker death
