Former Minnesota Vikings safety Jack Brewer is speaking out following the violent attacks that left one state legislator and her husband dead and another legislator and his wife seriously injured in Minnesota over the weekend. Brewer, who also played college football at the University of Minnesota, placed blame on Democratic Governor Tim Walz, criticizing what he described as a breakdown in public order under the current administration.
Walz was also former presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ running mate as vice president. “We need to start calling this what it is. These people have lost their minds,” Brewer told Fox News Digital. “I am heartbroken to see one of the most amazing states in America completely turned around under Gov. Tim Walz. Minnesota is confused.”
Brewer, who entered the NFL in 2002 after playing four seasons with the Golden Gophers, said his years living in the state showed him a different version of Minnesota than what exists today.
“I played for the Vikings. I played for the Gophers. I lived in Minnesota for years. It was not like this. People were respectful. People could disagree and still have conversations. I still have a lot of family there, and it hurts to see what they’re living through,” he said.
“Minnesota has become the capital of chaos in America. That’s not right. It’s not a reflection of the true people of Minnesota. There are a lot of good people there. But the liberal hub around Minneapolis and St. Paul has taken over, and it’s dangerous. Tim Walz is the leader of that. His attorney general, Keith Ellison, is right there with him.”
The suspect in the shootings, identified as 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, holds a Ph.D. in leadership for the advancement of learning and service from Cardinal Stritch University and was appointed to the state’s Workforce Development Board by two governors, reports Fox 9. He was first appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton in 2016 and reappointed in 2019 by Gov. Walz as a private sector representative. His term expired in 2023.
Authorities allege Boelter impersonated a police officer during the early morning attacks, shooting Sen. John Hoffman and his wife in their Champlin residence, before allegedly killing former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband at their home.
Gov. Walz addressed the shootings during a press briefing, describing them as a “politically motivated assassination,” though he did not mention that Boelter had previously been appointed to a state board by his administration.
Brewer said the tragedy points to deeper issues stemming from leadership and cultural decline, specifically criticizing what he sees as a lack of strong male leadership.
“On this Father’s Day, I wish Minnesota would focus on restoring fatherhood — protecting women, protecting families. Tim Walz is the example of a weak, emasculated leader. That is not what God made fathers to be. It’s pathetic,” Brewer said.
He went on to argue that the attacks are symptomatic of a broader cultural shift fueled by political extremism.
“It’s terrible. The root cause of all of this is evil. When you’re willing to attack, ridicule, riot and protest anyone who believes something different — even in your own party — you’ve gone too far,” Brewer said. “The Democrats have gone so far left that if you’re not a raging liberal, you’re under attack. They are forcing everyone in the party to conform.
“Whenever you give Satan power, he shows his face. That’s what we’re witnessing now.”