On August 27, 2025, tragedy struck the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis when a gunman opened fire during a back-to-school Mass, killing two children and injuring others. The attack, which unfolded as students were literally praying, has reignited a fierce national debate over the role of prayer, political rhetoric, and the persistent lack of legislative action to address gun violence in American schools.
As details of the shooting surfaced, emotions ran high across the political spectrum. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, visibly shaken, addressed the public with a plea that cut through the usual platitudes. “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now, these kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school, they were in a church,” Frey urged, according to Fox News and other outlets. His statement echoed the frustration of many who see repeated condolences as a substitute for policy change.
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, now an MSNBC host, took to X (formerly Twitter) to give voice to that anger. “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,” she wrote on August 27, 2025, as reported by The Washington Post and Fox News. Psaki’s comments, while reflecting a sentiment long held by many Democrats, quickly became the focal point of a new round of partisan sparring.
Republican leaders seized on the remarks. Vice President JD Vance, in particular, took to Fox News and social media to accuse Democrats of attacking Christian prayer itself. “Why does it have to be one or the other?” Vance asked during a televised interview, pushing back against what he characterized as a false dichotomy. “Why can’t you pray for the speedy recovery of these kids who literally got shot yesterday, while at the same time committing to making sure that this doesn’t happen again, or that this happens as infrequently as possible?” he continued, according to The Washington Post and Fox News. On X, Vance was even more pointed: “Of all the weird left wing culture wars in the last few years, this is by far the most bizarre. ‘How dare you pray for innocent people in the midst of tragedy?!’”
The vice president’s rhetoric was soon amplified by other conservative voices. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the controversy in a daily briefing, stating, “I saw the comments of Ms. Psaki and frankly I think they're incredibly insensitive and disrespectful to the tens of millions of Americans of faith across this country who believe in the power of prayer, who believe that prayer works.” Leavitt, as quoted by Fox News, underscored the view that prayer is not only a tradition but a source of comfort for many Americans during times of tragedy. White House spokesman Steven Cheung went further, calling Psaki a “disgusting human being” in a direct response on social media.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, entered the fray by criticizing the White House’s defense of prayer as a sufficient response. “These children were literally praying as they got shot at,” Newsom wrote on X, directly challenging Leavitt’s characterization of Psaki’s remarks as disrespectful. Newsom later addressed Vice President Vance’s suggestion that both prayer and action were possible: “Do both, then,” he urged, emphasizing the need for concrete steps in addition to spiritual support.
The suspected shooter, identified as Robin Westman, a 23-year-old trans woman, reportedly opened fire through the stained glass windows of the church during the Mass, according to Fox News. The attack not only shattered the lives of the victims’ families but also left a community grappling with the trauma of violence in a sacred space. In the days following the shooting, mourners gathered at a makeshift memorial outside Annunciation Catholic Church, paying their respects and searching for solace in the face of another senseless act.
The political debate that followed was as heated as it was familiar. Democrats, including Mayor Frey and Psaki, argued that while prayer may offer comfort, it cannot substitute for legislative action. “Half the politicians in our country have little more to offer than thoughts and prayers,” Psaki said in an emotional on-air monologue, as reported by Fox News. “That is all they are offering. ‘Join all of us in praying for the victims’ was Vice President JD Vance’s response today. That’s what he said. That’s it. ‘Please join me in praying for everyone involved,’ [President Donald] Trump wrote. We have seen this play out over and over again. There is a shooting. Then come the thoughts and prayers, and then comes the attempt to shift the focus. This is what always happens.”
Republicans, for their part, accused Democrats of using the tragedy to score political points and of disrespecting religious Americans. Christian author Brad Edwards, responding to Mayor Frey, wrote, “This isn’t just tired and exhausting, using the murder of children to virtue signal is profoundly selfish and wicked.” Other conservatives, such as Donald Trump Jr. and Rep. Byron Donalds, went so far as to blame Democrats for the attack itself, citing the identity of the suspected shooter.
Despite the intensity of the rhetoric, the underlying reality remains unchanged: Congress has repeatedly failed to pass substantive gun control measures, with Republicans leading opposition dating back to the Sandy Hook era and beyond. Even with unified control of Congress and the White House, the Trump administration has not produced a comprehensive plan to end school shootings or to address the root causes of gun violence in schools. Vice President Vance has suggested focusing on mental health rather than gun control, but critics argue that such proposals fall short of meaningful reform.
This debate is not new. Democrats have long called for action beyond “thoughts and prayers,” arguing that legislative change is necessary to prevent further tragedies. As The Washington Post noted, even some faith leaders have echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that prayer without action is insufficient. Senator Raphael Warnock, one of two ordained ministers in the Senate, once remarked, “In fact, it is a contradiction to that say you are thinking and praying and then do nothing,” after his own children were placed on lockdown during a mass shooting in Atlanta in 2023.
Yet, the political risks of criticizing prayer are real. Polling consistently shows that more than 70% of Americans believe in the power of prayer, including its role in the aftermath of mass shootings. After the 2011 shooting of then-Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona, a Fox News poll found that 77% of respondents believed prayer helped save her life. Still, Gallup surveys over the years have revealed that very few Americans see prayer alone as the first priority for preventing mass shootings—most want action alongside faith.
As the community in Minneapolis grieves, the nation once again finds itself caught between calls for spiritual comfort and demands for policy change. The debate over “thoughts and prayers” versus legislative action continues, with no clear resolution in sight. But for the families at Annunciation Catholic School, the pain is all too real—and the need for answers, and action, feels more urgent than ever.
