White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed her Democratic Party predecessor Jen Psaki for “deriding the power of prayer” after the former Biden aide declared it wasn’t enough to deal with America’s gun violence epidemic.
In the wake of yet another senseless mass shooting in the U.S., the White House admonished Democrats who criticized the notion of sending “thoughts and prayers” in response to Wednesday’s tragedy, which left two children dead and another 17 victims injured.
Among those Democrats was Psaki, who wrote in the aftermath of the Minneapolis shooting: “Prayer is not freaking enough.
“Prayers does not end school shootings. Prayers do not make parents feel safe sending their kids to school. Prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with the thoughts and prayers,” said the former press secretary turned MSNBC host.
Psaki’s tweets were emblematic of the frustration many Americans feel about years of political inaction in tackling gun violence in the U.S.—the only country in the world where there are more guns than people.
But asked about the comments on Thursday, Leavitt described them as “incredibly insensitive” to the millions of faith-based Americans, as she urged Psaki to pray.
White House Communications Secretary Steven Cheung was even more scathing, writing on X: “You are a disgusting human being. I hope you circle back with an apology.”
Said Leavitt: “It’s utterly disrespectful to deride the power of prayer in this country and it’s disrespectful to the millions of Americans of faith.
“I would encourage Ms. Psaki to pray for these families themselves who need it right now more than ever,” she added.
You are a disgusting human being.I hope you circle back with an apology. https://t.co/gW6YExTNqm
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) August 28, 2025
Wednesday’s tragedy took place at the Annunciation Catholic School, when a 23-year-old former student opened fire on children as they prayed during mass.
The shooter was identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, formerly known as Robert, who committed suicide in the parking lot behind the school.
In the lead-up to the attack, Westman posted disturbing videos to YouTube featuring guns, ammunition, and a manifesto-like notebook with antisemitic, anti-Catholic, and political messages.
Among them were phrases like “Kill Donald Trump”; “for the children” and “6 million wasn’t enough”—a reference to Jews who died in the Holocaust.
But the tragedy has once again reignited the debate about gun control in America, with some Democrats calling for genuine reforms. At the same time, MAGA influencers suggested that Westman’s motive to kill stemmed from being trans.
Similar calls for gun reform were made after the nation’s worst school mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, when 19 children and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in May 2022.
Trump came under fire at the time for headlining the National Rifle Association’s annual conference in Houston only a few days later, where he resisted calls for new restrictions.
On Wednesday, the president flew flags at half-mast and issued a statement saying he would continue to monitor the situation.
“Please join me in praying for everyone involved!” he added.
But others on social media agreed with Psaki that it wasn’t enough.
“How does prayer work if they were shot while praying?” one person asked.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have already been 268 mass shootings in 2025, more than the number of days so far this year.
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