Watch: Ex-Minnesota Republican Leader's Trash Can Blown Up Outside Home
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Former Minnesota Republican leader Michael Brodkorb has shared footage of someone detonating a device in the trash can outside his home.
"My family is safe but shaken," the ex-Minnesota GOP deputy chair said in a post to X, formerly Twitter, along with a clip from surveillance cameras at his home in Eagan, Minnesota, taken at 12:45 a.m. Friday. "I am furious."
Newsweek has reached out to the Eagan Police Department for comment via email outside regular working hours.
NEW: Please review the security video and audio of the 12:49 AM explosion outside my home. A masked individual detonated an incendiary device in my trash, causing a fire. @EaganPolice are investigating. If you recognize anything, please contact them at (651) 675-5700. pic.twitter.com/dXn0lOU1xF — Michael Brodkorb (@mbrodkorb) July 18, 2025
Why It Matters
The incident underscores rising concerns of political intimidation and personal security for public figures and commentators. Minnesota Democratic state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot last month in what Minnesota Governor Tim Walz branded an act of "targeted political violence."
Brodkorb has been a vocal participant in Minnesota political life—including breaking with his party to endorse Democratic candidates after a long Republican tenure.
Such events can have a chilling effect on political discourse and may influence perceptions of safety among political activists and former officials.
What To Know
Both surveillance footage and Brodkorb's statements indicate the suspect wore a mask and arrived on a bicycle, remaining in front of the house for four to five minutes while appearing to use a phone.
The individual ignored several other trash cans on the street before seemingly targeting the one outside Brodkorb's driveway.
Michael Brodkorb speaks with reporters in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 30, 2011.
Michael Brodkorb speaks with reporters in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 30, 2011.
Jim Mone/AP
Eagan Police Sergeant Rich Evans told The Minnesota Star Tribune that the incendiary device was "a mortar-style firework." An arson investigation has been launched.
Brodkorb, his wife and three children were home at the time but were not harmed. However, he said they had been "terrified" by the attack.
The 51-year-old held Republican Party leadership posts from 2009 to 2011 and attended the 2008 Republican National Convention as a delegate.
In 2024, he publicly endorsed Democratic nominees former Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who lost to President Donald Trump in the general election.
Who People Are Saying
Brodkorb posted the footage on X, saying: "At 12:49 AM, a masked individual intentionally detonated an incendiary device—or large firework—in the trash can outside my home. It exploded, sparked a fire, and destroyed the can."
In a second post, he continued, "Seconds after the video starts, a masked person on a bicycle stops in front of my house. Later in the video, you can hear them talking on the phone. At 12:49 AM, they light the device, it explodes, and then the person leaves. @EaganPD is investigating. Please share the video."
Nicole Widdersheim, deputy Washington director of Human Rights Watch whose friend, British politician Jo Cox, was killed on the steps of her office, condemned political violence last month, telling Newsweek: "Public servants should not have to weigh the risk to their families before casting a vote or answering constituents' questions. Political violence doesn't just harm individuals—it poisons the system, scares away good people, and chips away at public trust."
What Happens Next
Eagan police have initiated an arson investigation and seek public input based on the released security footage. Law enforcement encourages anyone with information about the incident or the individual involved to report tips. No arrests had been made as of publication time.
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