When the news broke about the horrific shootings of Minnesota lawmakers in June 2025, the internet basically exploded. Everyone wanted to know: who is this guy? And more importantly for the 24-hour news cycle, what did he believe? The question of whether was Vance Boelter MAGA became a flashpoint for a country already on edge. People were scouring his LinkedIn, his old sermons, and his voting records before the police had even finished processing the crime scene in Brooklyn Park.
It’s messy. Honestly, it’s a lot more complicated than a simple "yes" or "no" because Boelter lived this strange, double life. On one hand, he was a guy who sat on state boards appointed by Democrats. On the other, his roommates say he was a huge Trump fan who lived and breathed "Infowars."
The MAGA Connection: What We Actually Know
If you look at the evidence found in his vehicle and the testimony from those who knew him best, the "MAGA" label isn't just a random guess. His roommate, David Carlson, didn't mince words when talking to reporters. He described Boelter as a "strong supporter" of Donald Trump. He wasn't just a casual voter; Carlson noted that Boelter specifically voted for Trump and was a fan of the movement's energy.
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There's also the "Infowars" factor. Boelter reportedly listened to Alex Jones regularly. For most people, that's a pretty clear signal of where someone sits on the political spectrum. Paul Schroeder, another long-time friend, confirmed Boelter was "right-leaning," though he claimed he never saw him as "fanatical" until the news of the shootings broke.
But wait, it gets weirder.
When the FBI searched his SUV—the one he’d allegedly modified to look like a police car—they found a pile of "No Kings" flyers. Those are typically associated with anti-Trump protests. This led to a massive wave of disinformation. Figures like Donald Trump Jr. and Elon Musk jumped on social media to claim Boelter was a "leftist" or a "Democrat." They pointed to his appointments by Governor Tim Walz as proof.
But let’s be real: Minnesota’s workforce development board is a huge, 60-member non-partisan group. Being on it doesn't make you a DNC operative. In fact, internal DFL data later showed Boelter voted in the 2024 Republican primary, not the Democratic one.
The Religious Angle and the "Hit List"
To understand if was Vance Boelter MAGA, you have to look at his evangelical background. This is where the MAGA movement and his personal theology seemed to merge into something dangerous. Boelter wasn't just a guy at a church; he was a self-styled pastor who traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo to preach.
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In recordings from 2023, he sounded like a man deeply frustrated with modern America. He ranted about:
- Abortion (which he called "wrong" and claimed many churches had "messed up" on).
- Gender identity (saying "the enemy" had gotten into the souls of people questioning their gender).
- The general "moral decay" of the U.S.
This specific brand of Christian nationalism is a huge pillar of the modern MAGA base. When the police unsealed the criminal complaint, it turned out Boelter had a "hit list" that included not just Democratic lawmakers like Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman, but also Planned Parenthood officials and even U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar.
The targets were clearly chosen because they represented the "liberal" or "leftist" side of the culture war he was fighting in his head.
A Career Built on "Fantasy"
One of the most chilling things about Vance Boelter wasn't just his politics, but how much of his life was basically a lie. He claimed to have extensive military and private security training. He started a company called "Praetorian Guard Security Services" and told people he’d worked in the West Bank and Gaza.
NPR actually did some digging and found zero record of him ever serving in the military or law enforcement. He was a guy transporting bodies for a funeral home to make ends meet while pretending to be a high-level tactical expert.
Maybe that’s why the MAGA aesthetic appealed to him so much. The tactical gear, the "police-style" badge he wore, the modified Ford Explorer—it all fed into a persona of a "protector" or a "soldier" in a holy war. He wasn't just a supporter; he was someone who had internalized the most extreme rhetoric of the movement until he felt he had to "go to war," as he allegedly texted his family the morning of the attacks.
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What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that Boelter was a "Democratic plant" because of his board appointments. That’s just not how state government works. Governors appoint people from the private sector all the time, regardless of their personal politics, to fill seats on technical boards.
The second thing people get wrong is the idea that he was a "lone wolf" with no ideological ties. While the U.S. Attorney’s office said they didn't find a formal "manifesto" in the traditional sense, the evidence points to a guy who was deeply immersed in far-right media ecosystems. You don't just happen to have a list of Planned Parenthood directors and Democratic legislators in your car by accident.
Final Actionable Insights
If you're trying to make sense of the was Vance Boelter MAGA debate, here are the takeaways:
- Check the voting record: Despite the social media noise, records indicate Boelter was a registered Republican in Oklahoma and voted in Republican primaries in Minnesota.
- Look at the targets: The victims were high-profile Democrats and the list included reproductive rights advocates. That’s a hallmark of far-right political violence.
- Distrust the "No Kings" narrative: The presence of anti-Trump flyers in his car was likely a tactic for his planned "surveillance" or a way to blend in at protests he intended to target, rather than a reflection of his own beliefs.
- Watch for the "Double Life" pattern: Boelter is a textbook case of how someone can appear "mild-mannered" to neighbors while radicalizing in private through podcasts and online forums.
The case of Vance Boelter serves as a grim reminder that political rhetoric doesn't exist in a vacuum. When the lines between "political disagreement" and "war" get blurred in the media, people like Boelter—who are already struggling with financial stress and personal delusions—can take it as a literal call to arms.
To stay informed on the trial and the federal charges Boelter is currently facing, follow official updates from the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Avoid getting your facts from "X" threads that lack primary source documents, as this case has been one of the most heavily manipulated by bot accounts and misinformation campaigns in recent years.