Leavitt Rebukes Psaki for “Thoughts and Prayers” Remarks After Minnesota School Shooting

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 28, 2025 - The White House on Thursday took aim at former press secretary Jen Psaki for publicly dismissing “thoughts and prayers” in the wake of the tragic school shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, where two children were killed and seventeen others injured.

During the daily briefing, current Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned Psaki’s August 27 social-media post, in which the MSNBC host wrote that prayer “is not freaking enough” to address gun violence. Leavitt accused Psaki of “insensitivity and disrespect” toward Americans of faith and urged her to pray for the victims’ families. “To belittle the significance of prayer in this nation is utterly disrespectful,” Leavitt declared, insisting that spiritual support still holds value even amid legislative debates.

Psaki’s comments, made after her one-on-one interviews on The Briefing, reignited partisan tensions over how best to prevent mass shootings-whether through strengthened gun laws or heightened security measures. She argued that “prayers do not prevent school shootings. They do not make parents feel secure about sending their children to school” and insisted that concrete action is necessary to safeguard students.

Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis, who criticized “thoughts and prayers” as inadequate for protecting children actively praying inside the church when the shooting occurred, supported Psaki’s stance. Frey noted the cruel irony that children were attacked during their act of worship and called for comprehensive solutions beyond symbolic gestures.

Republican lawmakers swiftly condemned Psaki’s remarks. House GOP leadership issued statements defending the comfort that faith provides and asserting that spiritual solidarity and policy action are not mutually exclusive. Meanwhile, several Democratic legislators reiterated calls for stricter firearm regulations, pointing to this latest tragedy as evidence of America’s urgent need for reform.

The FBI continues its investigation into the shooting, treating it as a domestic-terrorism incident. As families mourn and lawmakers spar, the debate over faith versus legislative action on gun violence shows no signs of abating.