Jen Psaki Under Fire After Turning Church School Shooting into Attack on Prayer

A deadly shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school has reignited America’s fierce debate over prayer, gun control, and President Donald Trump’s sweeping D.C. crime crackdown — with MSNBC host and former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki at the center of a political firestorm.

Authorities say at least two children were killed and 17 others injured Wednesday when a gunman opened fire during morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic School. Witnesses described chaos and heartbreak as parents rushed toward the church, praying for their kids.

“I just kept begging God, ‘Please let my son be alive,’” said parishioner Maria Gonzalez, whose 8-year-old escaped unharmed. “No family should live through this.”

In the wake of the tragedy, Psaki took to X, formerly Twitter, writing:

“Prayer is not freaking enough. Prayer does not end school shootings. Prayer does not make parents feel safe sending their kids to school. Prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with the thoughts and prayers.”

The post immediately went viral, drawing both support from gun-control advocates and outrage from conservatives and faith leaders.

Psaki doubled down minutes later, mocking Trump’s controversial D.C. anti-crime crackdown:

“When kids are getting shot in their pews at a Catholic school Mass and your crime plan is to have National Guard put mulch down around D.C., maybe rethink your strategy.”

Her remarks referenced Trump’s decision earlier this year to deploy National Guard troops and assume control of the Metropolitan Police Department to curb spiraling crime in the nation’s capital — a move critics called authoritarian but which Trump defended as necessary.

Law enforcement identified the suspect as Robin Westman, formerly known as Robert Westman. Court records show Westman, now deceased, legally changed names in 2019 after identifying as female.

Investigators have yet to release a motive, but the suspect’s social media posts hinted at long-standing anger toward organized religion.

Psaki’s remarks sparked a wave of emotional pushback from faith leaders and conservatives, who accused her of politicizing tragedy.

“I don’t expect a spiritually blind person to understand prayer, but it is real,” said Karen Hamilton, a Virginia House of Delegates candidate. “I attended a baby’s funeral today, and for grieving parents, Jesus is their greatest comforter. You should investigate why that is instead of belittling it.”

Others noted Psaki’s apparent hypocrisy, resurfacing a 2017 tweet where she herself offered “thoughts and prayers” to Rep. Steve Scalise after he was shot during a congressional baseball practice.

Journalist Megan Basham went further, tying the debate to the nation’s ongoing cultural divide:

“Your party encourages mental illness by telling men they can be women, then screams ‘prayers are not enough’ when mentally unstable trans shooters attack schools. Prayer is vital. So is a sane society.”

While Psaki faced the backlash, President Trump defended his “zero-tolerance” crime policy in Washington, D.C., boasting that arrests had surpassed 1,000 and the city had just marked 12 straight homicide-free days.

“We’re protecting America’s families,” Trump said during a press conference at the White House. “If radical Democrats don’t want to keep churches and schools safe, we’ll do it ourselves. Enough is enough.”

The tragedy at Annunciation Catholic School has once again exposed the nation’s deepest divides — over faith, guns, gender identity, and government power.

For grieving families in Minneapolis, though, politics offer little comfort.

“They can fight in Washington all they want,” said parent Lisa Novak, holding back tears outside the church. “But we just buried two children today. I just want my daughter to be safe at school.”