Summary of Key Points
- Incident: Vance Boelter was named as the suspect in the fatal shooting of Melissa Hortman, a Democratic Minnesota state representative, and her husband Mark Hortman.
- Initial Far-Right Claims: Immediately after Boelter’s identification, far-right conspiracists and Republican influencers falsely labeled him as a violent leftist Democrat.
- Elon Musk’s Post: Elon Musk posted on X claiming “The far left is murderously violent,” which gained over 50 million views.
Facts About Boelter:
- Registered as a Republican in other states.
- Said to have voted for Donald Trump.
- Participated in an evangelical ministry preaching against abortion and demonizing LGBTQ communities.
Conspiracy Theories Evolution:
- After facts emerged, conspiracy theories shifted from blaming leftists to claiming it was a “false flag” operation by the deep state.
- Attempts were made to distance the shooter from Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.
Right-Wing Narratives:
- Claimed Boelter was linked to Minnesota governor Tim Walz and that the shooting was a politically motivated conspiracy.
- “Walz appointee” trended on X despite no evidence of a close connection.
- Influencers like Mike Cernovich, Benny Johnson, and Donald Trump Jr. pushed narratives that Boelter was a Democrat or leftist.
Counter-Evidence:
- David Carlson, Boelter’s longtime friend, confirmed Boelter was a Trump supporter who listened to InfoWars.
- Alex Jones claimed the incident was a “false flag” deep state operation.
Wider Pattern:
- Far-right conspiracists often try to blame violent acts by far-right perpetrators on leftists or Democrats.
- The “deep state” or “psyop/false flag” narrative is commonly used to deflect blame within these circles.
- Public figures like Laura Loomer and Arizona senator Wendy Rogers expressed doubts about official reports, further fueling conspiracy theories.
Analysis
- The shooting suspect’s political identity is clearly aligned with right-wing and evangelical conservative views, not left-wing or Democratic groups.
- Despite evidence, far-right conspiracists maintain false narratives to protect their political base and spread misinformation.
- This case is consistent with past patterns where far-right violence is misattributed to leftist groups by conspiracy theorists seeking to deflect responsibility.
Conclusion
The facts show Vance Boelter was a Trump-supporting far-right individual. Attempts by far-right figures and conspiracy theorists to claim otherwise are baseless and part of ongoing disinformation tactics common in politically motivated violence cases.