In the wake of a horrific church shooting that left two children dead and more than a dozen wounded, a political and cultural clash has now reportedly erupted in Washington over the role of prayer in public life.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking during Thursday’s briefing, offered a pointed defense of prayer after her predecessor, Jen Psaki, dismissed it as insufficient. Psaki, now an MSNBC host, had said “prayer is not freaking enough. … Enough with the thoughts and prayers.”
Leavitt rebuked Psaki’s comments, calling them “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, and who believe that in a time of mourning like this when beautiful young children were killed while praying a church, it’s utterly disrespectful to deride the power of prayer in this country.”
Her remarks quickly drew mockery from Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California, who responded on social media: “These children were literally praying as they got shot at.”
The attack took place Wednesday morning at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, where 23-year-old Robin Westman, who identified as transgender, opened fire during morning Mass.
Federal authorities said Westman’s writings and online postings revealed explicit hatred of Catholics and Jews, as well as violent threats against President Donald Trump. FBI Director Kash Patel described the incident as “an act of domestic terrorism motivated by a hate-filled ideology.”
Patel cited disturbing evidence, including messages scrawled on the gunman’s weapons. In one YouTube video posted just hours before the shooting, phrases such as “Where is your God?” and “6 million wasn’t enough”—a reference to the Holocaust—were visible.
“This was a barbaric attack,” Patel said, emphasizing the ideological extremism behind the rampage.
The tragedy and its aftermath have laid bare a sharp divide in how Democrats and Republicans respond to violence targeting religious communities.
In addition to Newsom, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey echoed skepticism toward prayer in his own remarks. “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 said at a press conference.
Republicans, meanwhile, defended the role of prayer as central to national grieving and resilience. Vice President JD Vance called it “shocking” to see Democrats “attack the idea of prayer in response to a tragedy.” He rejected the suggestion that prayer precludes action, instead describing it as a necessary expression of faith and community. “Literally no one thinks prayer is a substitute for action,” Vance said. “We pray because our hearts are broken and we believe that God is listening.”
The exchange highlights a broader cultural rift: while many Democrats increasingly frame prayer as an inadequate response to tragedy, conservatives argue that such dismissals denigrate deeply held beliefs.
For Leavitt and others, prayer is not a political talking point but a spiritual lifeline, one they insist should be respected rather than ridiculed—especially in moments of national sorrow.
[READ MORE: Gunman in Minneapolis Attack on Catholic School Identified]
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