Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is being heavily criticized for a facial expression she made while visiting the site of the Catholic school shooting earlier this week near Minneapolis.
According to video posted online, Omar appeared to smile at one point, drawing intense heat from critics who found the reaction inappropriate and questioning her sincerity.
Two children were killed and 17 others hospitalized after 23-year-old Robin Westman opened fire at a Minneapolis Catholic school, an attack investigators say was driven by anti-Catholic sentiment and violent ideations against former President Donald Trump. The shooting has renewed calls from Democrats for stricter gun control, while MSNBC’s Jen Psaki drew criticism for remarks dismissing prayers offered for the victims.
Omar, who represents the district, visited the site Thursday and described the shooting as an “unspeakable horror.” “My heart breaks for the families and the victims of this tragic mourning year in Minneapolis,” she said, adding that authorities don’t “know much” about the shooter apart from Westman being found dead at the scene.
“We are going to learn more about motives and what more can be done to make sure we can avoid tragedies like this,” she added. Omar’s remarks were undercut by a viral photo from her visit that showed her smiling broadly while greeting people outside Assumption Church.
Other local Democrats, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, used the spotlight to call for stronger national gun control measures.
“Don’t just say, this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying,” Frey said at a press conference on the scene on Wednesday. “They should be able to go to school or church in peace without the fear or risk of violence, and their parents should have the same kind of assurance.”
And Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar told CNN’s Dana Bash, “If a bunch of kids praying in church and shot down through the windows of that church and and locked into that by a madman isn’t enough to make people move, I just don’t know what is anymore.”
? JUST IN: Tulsi Gabbard SLAMMED Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and failed Press Secretary Jen Psaki for trashing Christianity
“Those like @jenpsaki and @Jacob_Frey who criticize prayers in the wake of the Minneapolis tragedy are expressing the same anti-God sentiment that… pic.twitter.com/GmP23NlR3o
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 28, 2025
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard clapped back at Democrats criticizing Americans who were praying for the victims.
“Those like @jenpsaki and @Jacob_Frey who criticize prayers in the wake of the Minneapolis tragedy are expressing the same anti-God sentiment that motivated the shooter,” she said. “He aimed his wrath at God by trying to stop people with his bullets from praying to God. Now is a time for us to come together and join hands in prayer, for the children who were killed, their loved ones, and those who survived this horrific shooting.”
