After the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, where two children were killed and over a dozen injured, liberal media figures and politicians quickly criticized calls for prayer. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) attacked Republicans on social media, claiming that “thoughts and prayers” were meaningless and blaming former President Trump for dismantling the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. His remarks implied that political failures, not prayer, were to blame for the tragedy.

Other prominent voices echoed similar sentiments. Jeff Timmer of the Lincoln Project lashed out at Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) after Graham expressed that he was praying for the Minneapolis community, calling him a “coward” and mocking the fact that the children were already praying when they were shot. MSNBC host Jen Psaki also dismissed the value of prayer, writing online that prayer alone cannot prevent shootings or comfort grieving parents. She argued that prayer does not bring back the victims and demanded an end to “thoughts and prayers” rhetoric, pushing instead for more action-oriented responses.