Prominent Minnesota Republicans are demanding Democratic Gov. Tim Walz terminate the employment of a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) official who cheered the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, arguing that failure to do so would constitute an endorsement of political violence.

A DNR employee posted to his social media “Too bad they weren’t a better shot” on the day of the attack on the Trump rally in Pennsylvania. (Source: Alpha News,July 17, 2024).

The DNR released a statement referencing the post and opposing the violence, but declined to share any information about actions they may have taken to discipline the employee. (Source: KAAL-TV, July 16, 2024)

State Sens. Andrew Matthews, Steve Drazkowski, Cal Bahr, and State Reps. Pam Altendorf, Shane Mekeland, and Ben Davis issued a joint statement in which they pushed for Walz to act. The statement referred to the assassination attempt as “a disturbing example of political violence and Americans rightly were disturbed by the attack, regardless of political affiliation.”

“The attempted assassination of former President Trump was a a disturbing example of political violence and Americans rightly were disturbed by the attack, regardless of political affiliation,” the Republican’s statement said. “Our country’s founding principles embrace the free exchange of ideas without fear of violence or retribution. Citizens participating in the American electoral process instead became victims of violence and witnesses to the attempted murder of a former US President and current political candidate.”

“When a state employee celebrates this act of political violence and even laments that it’s ‘too bad’ the shooter wasn’t ‘a better shot,’ it degrades our civic dialogue, and casts doubt on the commitment of state employees to serve all Minnesotans of all stripes.”

Gov. Walz has maintained a steady schedule of media interviews over the last month and has been weirdly silent about something that falls directly under his leadership. 

“We call on the governor to fire this state employee immediately,” the statement continued. “Tim Walz’s failure to even publicly condemn this statement or take action to hold this employee accountable sends the message he condones political violence and violent rhetoric from the state employees that he oversees. It’s wrong and Minnesotans deserve better from their top elected official.”