In the immediate aftermath of a horrific, politically charged double assassination in Minnesota, WNBA coach Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx wasted no time in turning tragedy into a stage for divisive rhetoric. Just hours after Democratic state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were murdered—and before the suspect’s motive had even been confirmed—Reeve used a press appearance to invoke “white power” as the underlying cause.
Let that sink in.
Authorities had not yet completed their investigation. Vance Luther Boelter, the suspect, was still on the run at the time of her comments. No official motive had been released, yet Reeve saw an opportunity to spin the narrative into a progressive cause célèbre.
Reeve began appropriately, appearing shaken and emotionally impacted by the news. “It’s certainly hitting close to home,” she said, taking a moment to gather herself. For a brief moment, it seemed she would focus on unity and grief.
Then came the pivot.
Speaking on broader political themes, Reeve criticized what she called the “weaponization” of political correctness and inclusion. Her comments escalated to the declaration that the resistance to her version of inclusion was “all rooted in power—white power, no less.”
That’s not analysis. That’s reckless speculation at best, inflammatory incitement at worst.
This isn’t a one-off. It’s part of a familiar and dangerous pattern where political figures and media partners on the left rush to shoehorn every national tragedy into a pre-defined ideological box. No facts? No motive? Doesn’t matter. The narrative must go on.
In this case, the coach of a floundering sports league—the WNBA, which has relied for years on NBA subsidies to stay afloat—used a microphone not to console but to divide. Instead of focusing on the victims and the ongoing investigation, Reeve fed a toxic narrative, one that inflames racial tension and politicizes grief before the facts are even in.
Even if one personally believes in systemic reform or greater equity, hijacking a breaking news tragedy to make speculative claims with no supporting evidence is indefensible. The bodies weren’t even buried, and already the political knives were out—pointed not at the murderer, but at vague societal constructs and anyone deemed ideologically out of step.
This isn’t justice. It’s opportunism.
As of the latest update, Vance Luther Boelter has been captured and taken into custody. Authorities are continuing their investigation and have not released definitive information regarding motive.
