Psaki criticizes Trump crime strategy, prayer after Minneapolis church attack

Former Biden administration spokeswoman and current MSNBC host Jen Psaki blasted President Donald Trump’s D.C. anti-crime crackdown and the power of prayer as she reacted to a church school shooting in Minnesota Wednesday.

Authorities said at least two children were killed and more than a dozen were injured after a gunman opened fire during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. 

In the aftermath of mass shootings, Americans often offer prayers for victims, their families and communities. In Catholic and Orthodox traditions, prayers for the dead ask that their souls be received into heaven.

But many gun control advocates deride prayer, arguing it’s is not enough, and government action must be taken to stop mass shootings. Psaki echoed that view in a post on X, formerly Twitter. 

WHO IS ROBIN WESTMAN, SUSPECT IN ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS?

MINNESOTA SCHOOL SHOOTING GUNMAN KILLS 2 CHILDREN, INJURES 17 OTHERS DURING CATHOLIC MASS

“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,” Psaki said.

Psaki followed up with another tweet, writing, “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 DC maybe rethink your strategy.”

Her comments appeared to reference Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops and assume oversight of the Metropolitan Police Department to tackle rising crime in Washington, D.C.

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The suspected shooter, who was found dead at the scene, was identified as Robert or Robin Westman by law enforcement sources.

Court records show that a Minneapolis juvenile named Robert Westman had his name legally changed to Robin in 2019, with one document saying, “Minor child [redacted] identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”

Some social media users objected to Psaki’s commentary and turned her words back on her.  

“I don’t expect a spiritually blind person to understand prayer, but it is real. Today I attended the funeral of a baby, and often when parents are in the depths of grief, Jesus is their greatest comforter. You should investigate why that is, rather than belittling it,” Karen Hamilton, a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, responded.

Washington Examiner contributor Kimberly Ross pointed out that Psaki had posted her own message in 2017, saying, “Thoughts and prayers with @SteveScalise and officers shot. And thank you to members, hill staffers for your public service.”

“Your party encourages mental illness in telling men they can be women, then encourages them identify as victims when the world does not indulge their perverse fantasies, and then screams ‘prayers are not enough’ when insane transgenders shoot up schools,” journalist Megan Basham said. “Prayer is vital. So is a mentally balanced populace that recognizes reality.”

“Good of you to point out that the National Guard needs to be deployed to every major Democrat-run city to prevent their mentally ill trans groupies from killing people,” Red State reporter Rusty Weiss wrote.

Fox News’ Greg Norman and Matt Finn contributed to this report.