In a rare joint appearance, former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Minneapolis on June 28 to attend the funeral Mass for Melissa Hortman, the former Speaker of the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark. More than a thousand people attended the solemn service at the Basilica of St. Mary, including community members, grieving families, and fellow lawmakers who were all grieving the couple’s needless, politically motivated deaths.
Biden, wearing a traditional black suit and navy tie, sat next to Harris, who had on a dark coat dress with a plain remembrance pin. The two clasped hands in silent solidarity as the congregation stood up for the Lord’s Prayer, supporting one another during the time of shared grief.
An online emotional outburst was triggered by the news of their presence. While some expressed concern over Biden’s posture and seemed worried about his well-being, many hailed their attendance as a show of compassion and leadership. Rather than viewing Harris’s grip as merely symbolic, some onlookers surmised that she was actually supporting him.
Hortman was the first woman in the history of the state to lie in honor in the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda, where thousands of people attended a public memorial service the day before. After silently welcoming the couple’s kids at the event, Biden attended the following morning’s service.
One of the pallbearers, Governor Tim Walz, praised Melissa Hortman’s legacy, telling the crowd that through her two decades of public service and the historic legislation she supported, “she was the most consequential Speaker in our state’s history.” Father Dan Griffith praised the Hortmans’ hospitality during Mass, referring to their house as the “Hortman Hotel.” Their son Colin concluded the Mass by reciting the Prayer of St. Francis, which his mother had stashed in her wallet.
Vance Boelter, 57, has been charged by federal prosecutors with the murders of the couple and previous assaults on Senator John Hoffman and his spouse, which authorities have characterized as politically motivated. The country laments the loss of two devoted public servants as well as the terrifying reminder of the perils associated with political violence as the investigation and legal proceedings proceed.
