Minnesota Democrats are facing a firestorm after state Rep. Aisha Gomez was accused of telling a Republican lawmaker to “go f**king shoot himself” during a tense late-night confrontation on the House floor — an allegation that has now triggered demands for her removal from a key leadership position.
Republican leaders are calling for Gomez to be stripped of her role as chair of the House tax committee, while also demanding public condemnation from Governor Tim Walz and Democratic leadership.
So far, neither has happened.
The controversy erupted Thursday night after Democrats attempted to force a vote on HF5140, a sweeping gun-control proposal that would ban many semiautomatic rifles classified as “assault weapons,” restrict large-capacity magazines, and criminalize so-called ghost guns.
🚨 BREAKING: Several members of the Minnesota House Republican Caucus have confirmed to me that Rep. Aisha Gomez (D) told Rep. @elliottengenMN (R) to “go f*cking sh**t himself.”
The incident occurred during a Democrat “sit-in” after a radical gun control bill failed to pass. pic.twitter.com/7qVYLAWAnW
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) May 15, 2026
The effort was largely symbolic from the start.
Minnesota’s House is currently tied 67-67, and Republicans were unanimously opposed to the legislation. The bill failed along party lines exactly as expected.
Afterward, Democrats launched an overnight sit-in protest inside the Capitol, escalating tensions that were already running high following emotional floor debate surrounding gun violence and last year’s deadly shooting at Annunciation Catholic School.
Can confirm.
Didn’t have multiple Democrat colleagues yelling at me to “go f’ing shoot myself” on my bingo card… https://t.co/veol1CXzxT
— Elliott Engen (@elliottengenMN) May 15, 2026
According to Republican lawmakers, the situation boiled over during an exchange involving Republican Rep. Walter Hudson Engen, who had reportedly urged lawmakers to move past partisan fighting and focus on broader public safety cooperation.
Multiple Republicans now claim Gomez responded by telling Engen to “go f**king shoot himself.”
Political commentator Dustin Grage first amplified the allegation publicly, posting video and stating that several Republican lawmakers confirmed the remark occurred.
But confusion quickly followed regarding the exact wording.
Some Republicans, including Grage and Engen, stated Gomez said “shoot himself.” Another Republican lawmaker, Rep. Drew Roach, posted video claiming she instead said “go f**king kill himself.”
Gomez denies making any threat at all.
According to her account, she actually said, “Think about them, not yourself, how about that [expletive],” referring to victims of the Annunciation school shooting.
Democratic lawmakers later released a tighter camera-angle video that does not clearly capture the alleged statement, though critics argue the footage may not include the full exchange.
Here is Rep. @elliottengenMN proposing to Democrats to stop engaging in the same old debates that haven’t worked, and to instead work together to find a new visionary approach to keeping Minnesotans safe.
Just hours later, they told him to “go fcking shoot himself.” https://t.co/8KlPz98XWn pic.twitter.com/l7ndM8EIG8
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) May 15, 2026
The lack of definitive audio has only intensified the political battle.
Republicans insist the remarks crossed an unacceptable line given the subject matter being debated and Minnesota’s recent history involving political violence and mass shootings.
House Speaker Lisa Demuth sharply condemned Gomez’s alleged conduct.
“This kind of behavior is unacceptable, and it makes every person in this place less safe,” Demuth said. “Someone willing to spew hate and accost colleagues is unfit to serve as a leader in Minnesota.”
Majority Leader Harry Niska similarly blasted the alleged comments as especially disturbing in the context of emotional testimony lawmakers had heard earlier regarding gun violence victims.
“After the horrible tragedies we’ve had in Minnesota over the last year, it is sickening that an elected official would think it’s acceptable to say the things we heard tonight,” Niska said.
