White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized former press secretary Jen Psaki’s recent remarks regarding the Minnesota school shooting, calling them “incredibly insensitive and disrespectful to the tens of millions of Americans of faith.”
During a press briefing Thursday, Leavitt said dismissing the importance of prayers undermines deeply held beliefs across the country.
Jen Psaki, an MSNBC host and one-time press secretary to former President Joe Biden, made the comment on the social platform X following a deadly shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday, where two children were killed and 17 others (including children and seniors) were injured during a school Mass.
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She wrote, “Prayer is not freaking enough. Prayers do not end school shootings. Prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with the thoughts and prayers” — reflecting the public anger over political leaders’ reliance on faith over tangible solutions.
Earlier, Vice President JD Vance also criticized Psaki's remarks in a post on X.
"We pray because our hearts are broken. We pray because we know God listens. We pray because we know that God works in mysterious ways, and can inspire us to further action. Why do you feel the need to attack other people for praying when kids were just killed praying?" he wrote.
Vance added: "Of all the weird left wing culture wars in the last few years, this is by far the most bizarre. 'How dare you pray for innocent people in the midst of tragedy?!' What are you even talking about?"
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Both Vance and Leavitt faced criticism on social media from users who argued that “thoughts and prayers” alone won’t stop gun violence, and action is needed for change.
Jack Jenkins, a reporter for Religious News Service, wrote on X, while sharing statements from faith leaders: Again: "Faith leaders *themselves* have long also criticized 'thoughts and prayers' rhetoric — including leaders in Leavitt's own Catholic tradition. Here are some examples from the past 24 hrs, including a statement from Sisters of Mercy of the Americas (Catholic nuns)."
Christopher Hale, a former Democratic nominee for Congress, shared a news report mentioning a past statement from Pope Leo XIV and wrote: “Karoline should listen to Pope Leo — prayer isn’t the problem. Inaction is.”
In the article, it is mentioned that after the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, “the future Pope Leo retweeted this from Senator Chris Murphy: ‘Your cowardice to act cannot be whitewashed by thoughts and prayers. None of this ends unless we do something to stop it.’”
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Will Watson, a Democratic strategist from Arkansas, wrote on X: "At no point has JD or any Republican used the power and blessings God has bestowed on them to take any meaningful action to prevent gun violence. Their 'prayers' in this instance are the specific kind of performative nonsense Jesus Christ himself warned about."
Former Obama advisor and podcaster Jon Lovett reacted to Vance's post and wrote: "We pray for your administration to spend less time painting border fences and targeting political enemies and more time on actual threats. We pray for a vice president who doesn't spend his days hunting for ways to feel like a victim on social media like a truffle pig."
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