Tulsi Gabbard blasts Jen Psaki over prayer comments after school shooting

Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat-turned-Republican now serving as director of National Intelligence, is blasting former White House press secretary Jen Psaki in the wake of the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting that left two children dead and 18 others injured on Wednesday.

Psaki went viral on X for her post which asserted “prayer is not freaking enough” in the wake of the tragic incident. 

Gabbard accused Psaki and other critics of public prayer of harboring “hatred of God,” calling them “agents of darkness” in a lengthy X post Friday.

Psaki said: “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.” Her post garnered over 15 million views on X.

PSAKI RESPONDS TO BACKLASH OVER HER DISMISSING THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, SAYS THEY’RE ‘NOT ENOUGH’

Gabbard responded: “So why is it that people like Jen Psaki and others have such a spontaneous visceral negative reaction to those who are praying to God for refuge, strength, and for the wellbeing of the victims of this heinous attack? Because they do not believe in God or His love.”

“Their response is rooted in their hatred of God,” Gabbard added. “They want to be God, so they view Him as their competitor. They are agents of darkness and hatred, and the light of God’s love is a threat to their dark ambitions.”

She tied her criticism to more policy causes for the Democrat Party, calling transgender rights “insanity and darkness” and citing Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous line: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

NEWSOM REBUKES WHITE HOUSE DEFENSE OF PRAYER AFTER SHOOTING: KIDS WERE ‘LITERALLY PRAYING AS THEY GOT SHOT AT’

Republicans quickly rallied behind Gabbard. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Psaki’s dismissal of prayer was “utterly disrespectful” and urged her to pray for the grieving families instead.

Vice President JD Vance added on X: “Why would Jen Psaki attack people for praying when those children were literally praying as they were murdered?”

Minneapolis now finds itself at the center of both America’s gun violence crisis and its deepening divide over how the nation mourns and seeks change.

Gabbard’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News’ Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.