The Republican senator from Utah suggested in social media posts that the killings were the work of “Marxists,” and mocked Minnesota’s Democratic governor. He later issued a more sober condemnation of the violence.

Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) confronted Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) on Monday evening after his controversial online posts about the political assassination and attempted murder of Minnesota state lawmakers. Lee downplayed and joked about what authorities say were politically motivated shootings over the weekend by Vance Boelter,