Fox News analyst and former Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) faced criticism after making disputed claims about mass shootings while discussing the attack at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.
The Wednesday morning shooting left two children dead and 17 others injured when 23-year-old Robin Westman, who identified as transgender, opened fire during a school Mass before killing himself behind the church. On air, Gowdy called for stricter gun control measures and suggested the focus should be on predicting potential shooters in advance.
“Our system is reactive. Something bad happens, we react to it. And what people are crying for now is how can we prevent this? How can we stop it? And the only way to stop it is to identify the shooter ahead of time or keep the weapons out of their hands,” he said, leading some to believe he was emphasizing intervention over constitutional rights.
Gowdy’s claim that mass shootings are “almost always” carried out by “young, white males” has also drawn widespread criticism. “I mean, did anyone this morning think, I wonder if that was a female? Did any of y’all think that? I mean, there’s been one school shooting involving a female. One at Tennessee. But other than that, it is usually young white males,” he said.
PLAY:
Trey Gowdy on Fox News suggests gun control in response to the Minnesota shooting, demonizes young White men:
“How many school shootings does it take… it’s ALWAYS a young White male.”
Moments later, he does a promo for his mystery book amidst the tragedy.
Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/uBCDM8yL35
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) August 27, 2025
Gowdy did not mention that Minnesota has a red flag law, which is the type of law Democrats at all levels of government have pushed as a way of keeping guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves or others.
Authorities said Westman had no prior criminal record and was not known to law enforcement, underscoring the challenges of predicting violent acts. Analysts cautioned that relying on demographic assumptions oversimplifies shooter profiles and can mislead the public about school safety.
“Trey Gowdy proves yet again that RINOs and Democrats are on the same team. Trey should never be trusted. Trey is all the way out of the uniparty cult closet,” one user commented on the X platform, according to Resist the Mainstream.
Conservative commentator Mike Cernovich added, “Trey Gowdy has always been the scum of the earth. Now he’s pushing for gun control and anti-white rhetoric on Fox News. He lied about the ‘trans’ shooter. He was always the lowest of the low. Now you know!”
Another user wrote, “If you’re a white man, Fox News’ Trey Gowdy wants to take your guns because a mentally ill transgender shot up a gun-free zone. And they’re too afraid to talk about transgenderism on the air.” Conservative commentator Gunther Eagleman concluded, “Trey Gowdy belongs on CNN.”
