Mere hours after Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed and Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were shot, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison defied public safety warnings and gave a fiery speech at the “No Kings” event in St. Paul.
One of many anti-Trump protests that occurred last Saturday, the “No Kings” event in St. Paul was supposed to feature Ellison, Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. However, Walz and Flanagan canceled their appearances after the attacks that killed the Hortmans and injured the Hoffmans.
In turn, Walz and the Minnesota State Patrol issued a public plea asking Minnesotans to stay away from any political protests while the manhunt for the assassin unfolded. Despite this, Ellison showed up at the St. Paul event anyway, joining thousands of demonstrators.
Given the targeted shootings of state lawmakers overnight, we are asking the public to not attend today’s planned demonstrations across Minnesota out of an abundance of caution. pic.twitter.com/7hFccnrQUT
— MN State Patrol (@MnDPS_MSP) June 14, 2025
Taking the stage in front of Minnesota’s State Capitol Building, Ellison called for a moment of silence for the Hortmans and Hoffmans. The attorney general then spoke about Melissa Hortman and her life before pivoting to a searing attack on President Donald Trump—calling the president a “dictator who wants to be a king.”
Minnesota’s Republican National Committeeman AK Kamara slammed Ellison for delivering a “disgustingly partisan” speech just hours after a deadly political attack and accused the attorney general of stoking violent rhetoric while the suspect remained at large.
Shame on Minnesota @AGEllison for giving a disgustingly partisan speech at the "No Kings" rally where he stoked violent rhetoric
The speech was hours after two of his fellow party colleagues and their spouses were killed or injured by an assassin who is still at large
Absurd pic.twitter.com/xHY3lFHq98
— AK Kamara (@realakkamara) June 14, 2025
Alpha News reached out to Keith Ellison’s office for comment but did not receive a response.
In a Monday interview with FOX 9, Ellison expressed his admiration for Hortman and was asked why he attended the anti-Trump “No Kings” protest despite authorities cautioning against it.
“I wholeheartedly support the decision of the governor and the lieutenant governor and others to not go,” said Ellison. “We cannot possibly risk the top of our state and they did the very right thing, the thing I would advocate. But on the other hand, I felt that somebody, at least one of us, should go to be with the people in this grieving moment.”
The attorney general also said the governor needed to focus on dealing with the situation, and he (Ellison) “needed to do what I could do to lend comfort in that moment.” The attorney general said he wanted to remind people about Hortman and her legacy.
“I also wanted to remind people that in the course of human events, martyrs and great leaders, sometimes we lose them, but if the cause is just and right, others carry on and they pick up the mantle,” he added.
Ellison was also asked whether the shocking violence would affect the tone of his own speech going forward.
“You know, I’ve always been one to try to bring us to the better place,” he said. “But we’re all passionate advocates for the beliefs that we hold. But the problem here is that somebody picked up a weapon, and went to a person’s home at three o’clock in the morning and murdered them.”
“Those of us who believe that our political differences should be solved either by a compromise or an election are completely different in kind from this kind of behavior,” added the attorney general.
Ellison also said “It is important to understand that in America, in Minnesota, we resolve our differences through compromise, in courtrooms, or we do it in places at election time. Never with guns. That is not the way that matters are solved in our country and never should be and have no place at all.”
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
