Jen Psaki, former spokeswoman for the Biden administration and now an MSNBC host, criticized the effectiveness of prayer following President Donald Trump’s actions against crime in D.C. and a shooting at a Catholic school in Minnesota.
The tragic incident resulted in the deaths of at least two children, with over a dozen others injured when gunfire erupted during a service at the Minneapolis Announcement Catholic School.
After such shootings, many people turn to prayers for the victims, their families, and their communities. In Catholic and Orthodox traditions, prayers often include hopes for the deceased to find peace in heaven.
Yet, many advocates for gun control argue that prayer alone is insufficient, insisting on the need for government intervention to prevent these kinds of tragedies.
In a recent post on Twitter, Psaki echoed this sentiment. She stated, “Prayers don’t go crazy enough. Prayers don’t end school shootings. Prayers don’t make parents feel safe taking their children to school. Prayers don’t bring these children back.”
Psaki followed up with another post, noting, “When kids are shot in the foot at a Catholic school mass, and your crime plan is to have the National Guard be placed in mulch around D.C.” Her remarks seemed to reference Trump’s strategy to deploy National Guard units and improve oversight of police to address rising crime rates in the nation’s capital.
The alleged shooter, identified as Robert or Robin Westman, was found dead at the scene. Court documents indicated that a juvenile named Robert Westman had changed their name to Robin in 2019 and expressed a preference for female identification.
In the shooting, two children lost their lives, while 14 others were wounded when Westman opened fire at the school in Minneapolis.
Some responses on social media pushed back against Psaki’s comments. One user mentioned, “I don’t expect spiritually blind people to understand prayer, but it’s real. Today I attended a baby’s funeral, and often when parents are in the depths of their grief, Jesus is their biggest comforter.”
Kimberly Ross, contributing to the Washington Examiner, recalled that Psaki had a similar message in 2017, noting the prayers shared between a congressman and police officers after a different shooting incident.
Debates around prayer’s role in response to tragedies like mass shootings have sparked diverse opinions on social media. Some critics of Psaki pointed out contradictions in the current political climate. For example, journalist Megan Basham remarked on the encouragement of certain narratives that could lead to mental health issues, highlighting the complexities of the discussion surrounding these events.
Another commentator humorously suggested that perhaps the National Guard’s presence was needed in major cities run by Democrats to counter threats from those they deemed mentally unstable.
