Laura Loomer

Andrea Austria / Media Matters

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After the killing of a leading Minnesota politician, Laura Loomer pushed baseless claims

Written by Reed McMaster & Casey Wexler

Published

Trump ally Laura Loomer joined other right-wing influencers in spreading baseless speculation about the suspect charged with the murder of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband and the attempted murder of Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.

Loomer attempted to tie the alleged shooter to the anti-Trump “No Kings” protests that took place the same weekend and baselessly suggested he was a “friend” and “ally” of Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, even though the suspect targeted Democratic lawmakers. 
 

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  • Right-wing influencers spread misinformation about the shooting of two Democratic lawmakers

    • In the early morning of June 14, a gunman posing as a police officer allegedly shot two Minnesota Democratic lawmakers, killing one and injuring the other. The shooter targeted state Rep. Melissa Hortman and state Sen. John Hoffman and their spouses, killing Hortman and her husband and injuring both of the Hoffmans. The police found a “hit list” in the suspect’s car naming several dozen Democratic lawmakers and officials (including the two who were shot), as well as “voluminous writings” in his vehicle and home. The suspected shooter evaded law enforcement for nearly two days before being captured on June 15. [NPR, 6/16/25]
    • Police found several sheets of paper in the suspect’s car with the phrase “No Kings,” the name of the national anti-Trump protests also held on June 14. Minnesota state police posted a photo of the papers, suggesting individuals not attend the scheduled protests as the suspect was then still at large. Gov. Walz similarly urged residents not to attend the protests, and event organizers canceled the planned demonstrations. [The New York Times, 6/14/25]
    • The suspected gunman was appointed to Minnesota’s Workforce Development Board by Walz in 2019, but according to Walz’s spokesperson, “Appointments to the workforce board aren’t the same as positions in the governor’s office or cabinet, and Walz had no relationship with Boelter.” [PBS, 6/15/25]
    • During the manhunt, conservative influencers claimed the shooter was actually a Democrat working for the governor and had ties to the No Kings protests. While the public waited for more information about the suspect and his motives, right-wing media spun a false narrative that the alleged murderer was a left-leaning figure aligned with Walz. [Media Matters, 6/16/25]
    • President Donald Trump refused to call the governor of Minnesota, eschewing a traditional presidential response in the aftermath of tragedies. [NBC, 6/17/25]

  • Laura Loomer, a “proud Islamophobe” who has called for Democrats to be executed, has a history of influencing Trump

    • Laura Loomer is a right-wing activist and conspiracy theorist with an apparent history of direct influence over the Trump administration's staffing practices. Following a visit from Loomer, Trump removed multiple National Security Agency officials she considered “disloyal to President Trump.” Loomer also took credit for the firing of Mike Waltz from the National Security Council. [Media Matters, 4/4/25; NBC, 4/3/25; The Associated Press, 5/1/25]
    • Loomer has claimed that Trump “took [her] advice” on Panama Canal policies during the 2024 election. On her show, Loomer repeatedly pushed claims that Panama and the Darién Gap are pipelines for a migrant “invasion” that could lead to terrorism. [Media Matters, 2/11/25]
    • Loomer has described herself as a “proud Islamophobe,” “pro-white nationalism,” and has even suggested that “Democrats who are guilty of treason” should be executed. Loomer explained, “I know that you're going to clip what I said tonight, and you're going to say, ‘See, look. Laura Loomer did say she wants to execute Democrats.’ No. I said that we need to follow the Constitution, and the Constitution outlines that if you are found guilty of treason, the punishment is death. And there's a lot of people, a lot of your friends, Joe Biden, a lot of your associates who would qualify for the death penalty.” [Media Matters, 8/14/24]
    • Wired has reported that administration officials are growing “tired” of Loomer’s influence, but Vice President JD Vance sat down with her for a private meeting as recently as early June. [Wired, 6/2/25; CNN, 6/3/25]
       

  • Loomer repeatedly called Walz the shooter’s “friend” and “ally” and suggested without evidence that Walz may have been tied to the shooting

    • After Walz praised the slain legislator, Loomer claimed the shooter was Walz’s “friend” and called for Walz to be investigated. She wrote, “And your friend murdered her. Hopefully you are investigated.” [Twitter/X, 6/15/25]
    • Loomer suggested without evidence that Walz may have known ahead of time about the shooter’s plan to kill Democratic lawmakers. She wrote, “Did Walz know about the shooting ahead of time? He appointed the shooter to a position and was set to speak at the No Kings protest the killer was promoting. Police found No Kings flyers in the killer’s car. Did Walz know about this ahead of time? He’s on video saying, ‘I’m friends with school shooters’. He should be investigated. How well did he know the shooter?” [Twitter/X, 6/14/25]
    • Loomer referred to the shooter as an “ally” of Walz. She stated, “Vance Boelter, the suspected shooter and @GovTimWalz appointee who shot two Minnesota lawmakers and killed one of them today says he ‘has experience in the Middle East.’ He has a wife and kids. His car was found with No Kings flyers inside of them, where his ally @GovTimWalz was set to speak today.” [Twitter/X, 6/14/25]
    • Loomer suggested, again without evidence, that Walz sent the shooter to assassinate lawmakers who supported legislation he opposed and called the “Democrat Party” a “terrorist organization.” Loomer wrote, “He was appointed by @Tim_Walz. Tim Walz’s goons are now assassinating law makers who support legislation Walz opposes. The Democrat Party is a terrorist organization.” [Twitter/X, 6/14/25]

  • Loomer alleged that the shooter “was promoting” the No Kings protests

    • Loomer used an image of supposed No Kings flyers in the alleged shooter’s car as evidence the protests were “domestic terrorist rallies.” She ranted, “These protests are not regular protests. They are domestic terrorist rallies. Time to shut them down. These are violent people who gather to kill and incite violence.” [Twitter/X, 6/14/25]
    • In response to a post by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Loomer claimed the shooter was promoting the No Kings protests. She wrote, “The guy who shot and killed them was promoting the same No Kings protests you have been promoting all week. You helped murder a lawmaker by supporting the same group whose member murdered the law maker. The Democrat Party is a terrorist organization.” [Twitter/X, 6/14/25]
    • Loomer continued to repeat the unfounded and false claim that the papers found in the suspect’s car meant he was a Democrat. She claimed, “The Democrats have been promoting the ‘No Kings’ protests all week and some have even spoken at prior NO KINGS rallies. The shooter who assassinated the Minnesota lawmaker today had No Kings flyers in his car. Democrat domestic terrorism.” [Twitter/X, 6/14/25]