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Psaki: Action on America's gun problem is not hopeless - The Briefing with Jen Psaki | Wave AI Podcast Notes

Psaki: Action on America's gun problem is not hopeless

Thu Aug 28 2025

Jen Psaki addresses the horrific shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis and the shocking gun statistics in the United States that "should make everyone angry." Psaki points to new gun legislation that passed under the Biden administration after a mass shooting at a supermarket, and reminds viewers that anger can turn into activism, activism can turn into pressure, and pressure can change laws.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Briefing with Jen Psaki

Episode: Action on America's Gun Problem Is Not Hopeless
Date: August 28, 2025
Host: Jen Psaki, MSNBC

Overview

This episode tackles the latest tragic mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. Jen Psaki explores the details of the attack, the community's response, and the broader issue of gun violence in America. The show features interviews with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Senator Tina Smith, and Dr. Georges Benjamin (Director of the American Public Health Association) to examine how action remains possible amid recurrent tragedies and the politicization of related issues.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Minneapolis School Shooting – Details and First-Hand Accounts

Incident Recap:
- On the first day back to school, a shooter fired through stained glass church windows, trapping staff and students inside (01:13).
- Two children, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old, were killed, and the shooter died by suicide. Seventeen others, including 14 children, were injured (05:48).
- The shooter was able to buy multiple firearms legally.
- Trauma lingers: All injured are expected to survive, but the community faces immense psychological scars (05:48).
First-Hand Voices:
- 10-year-old Weston Halsney described hiding under pews and being shielded by a friend who was shot:
  “We kind of like got under the pews... My friend Victor like saved me though, because he laid on top of me, but he got hit.” (04:05)
- Senator Amy Klobuchar’s staff member’s daughter communicated the trauma of seeing friends shot:
  “Her daughter... had to watch several of her friends get shot. One in the back, one in the neck and they all got down under the pews.” (05:19)
Community Response:
- Vigils and services brought out overwhelming crowds (01:13, 32:38), highlighting collective grief and solidarity.

2. The American Gun Crisis – Systemic Problems

Host’s Analysis:
- Jen Psaki underscores that the U.S. leads the world in gun violence and that mass shootings occur with an unmatched frequency.
  “This is the only country where shootings like this, this one, happen this often... It’s the guns, everyone. It’s not really a secret.” (07:23)
- The show criticizes the pattern of “thoughts and prayers” and the use of the shooter’s identity (trans, political views) to distract from policy solutions (07:41).
- Psaki argues for activism: “Anger can turn into activism... That pressure can change laws. It’s not hopeless at all.” (10:26)
Historical Parallel:
- The bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022) after Buffalo and Uvalde proved legislative change is possible with enough public pressure (10:39).

3. Interview: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey

Community Pain and Humanity:
- Frey emphasizes compassion and urges everyone to view victims as “your own kids,” not someone else’s tragedy (16:41).
- “Every parent should have the assurance and the confidence that they can kiss their kid goodbye... without the fear that they wouldn’t come home.” (16:41)
- Regards teachers and law enforcement as heroes for their actions that saved lives.
Demands for Action:
- Blunt on the issue of firearms:
  “We have more guns in America than people. Say it again. We have more guns in America than people. Why?” (19:47)
- Calls out the cycle of inaction:
  “This is not what anybody should expect or deal with in the first week of school... Words are not enough... We got to act.” (18:27)
- On identity and scapegoating:
  “Anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize trans people has completely lost touch with a common humanity... The antidote to hate is not more hate. The antidote is love.” (22:58)
Guidance for Citizens:
- Frey acknowledges the powerlessness people feel, but insists on collective responsibility:
  “We can do a whole lot more than [thoughts and prayers]... Why are we okay with that? Collectively?... This is not about politics. This is about kids. This is about your kids.” (25:03)

4. Interview: Senator Tina Smith (D-MN)

Grief and Resilience:
- “The depth of our grief is just unfathomable... everyone is trying to figure out both how to make sense of it and... how do we scrape ourselves up off the sidewalk and figure out where we go from here.” (31:34)
- Notes the community’s strength shown in record turnout at the vigil.
The Power of Hope and Action:
- Smith frames hope as an act:
  “Hope is an action word... people who take these kinds of violent actions... want us to feel powerless... we do have power, that we do have autonomy, that we can change this.” (33:43)
- Points to real impact from the Safer Communities Act (“lives were saved because of that... we have to use that as our momentum”) (34:29).
On Policy and Political Contradictions:
- Smith calls out widespread hypocrisy:
  “What Donald Trump is doing is using fear of crime... as a political cudgel. He’s using it to expand people’s fear rather than actually doing anything to keep people safer.” (36:18)
- Highlights the rollback of violence prevention grants even as troops are deployed for other “crime emergencies” (36:18).

5. Weaponization of Public Health & Breaking News

CDC Leadership Purge:
- CDC Director Susan Menarez was forced out after resisting pressure to change vaccine policy per RFK Jr. and the Trump White House (37:50-41:49).
- Dr. Georges Benjamin explains, “He has created a toxic work environment... bringing on board a highly competent expert... decides he wants to fire her.” (41:50)
Public Health Implications:
- The loss of leadership at the CDC undermines trust and efficacy:
  - “Public health works on trust. And the minute you break that trust, you lose the public.” (42:58)
  - “You’re pushing out some of the world's top experts in disease... What this means is... we can't assure you the air will be safe to breathe, the water safe to drink, or food safe to eat.” (43:49)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Senator Tina Smith quoting an African proverb:
“When you pray, pray with your feet. Faith is about taking action to get the kind of community you want.” (34:53)
Mayor Jacob Frey’s urgent plea for empathy:
“Don’t think about these as just somebody else’s kids. Think about them as if they were your own.” (19:47)
Jen Psaki on U.S. gun violence:
“We live in a country with more guns than people... It’s the guns, everyone. It’s not really a secret.” (07:23)
Direct voice from a 10-year-old survivor:
“My friend Victor like saved me though, because he laid on top of me, but he got hit.” – Weston Halsney (04:25)

Important Timestamps

01:13 – 05:48: The attack recounted; voices from child survivor and families.
07:23 – 13:22: Psaki’s monologue on gun violence, legislative action, and cycles of inaction.
16:41 – 27:17: Extended interview with Mayor Jacob Frey, including perspectives on empathy, blame, and action.
31:34 – 37:48: Senator Tina Smith reflects on grief, hope, policy, and political hypocrisy.
37:50 – 45:08: Breaking news on the CDC director’s firing and expert reactions with Dr. Benjamin.

Tone and Language

The tone throughout is empathetic, urgent, and at times raw with emotion from both hosts and guests. There’s a repeated call for moving from despair and “thoughts and prayers” to meaningful, collective action. The show maintains clear, accessible language but doesn’t shy from moral outrage or political critique.

Conclusion

This episode of The Briefing with Jen Psaki provides a powerful account of the aftermath of yet another mass shooting, focusing both on the immediate suffering and the need for systemic change. Guests reinforce the theme that hope and progress depend on action — from citizens, lawmakers, and leaders. The episode also shifts to the politicization of public health, warning of the risks of undermining institutions at a time of repeated national crisis.

Listeners gain a sobering but motivating picture: the tragedy is not just a repeating news cycle, but a challenge that can — and must — be met with empathy and resolve.

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Transcript

Kelly Ripa (0:00)

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News Anchor / Host (1:13)

It's been a very difficult day I think, for everybody watching for me too. We are bringing to you right now the scene inside the Academy of Holy Angels High School gym in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the community has shown up in droves to mourn. They had to add seats in the community. They had to. This was around an event that happened just. And they're there to honor the lives of the two children tragically killed, as well as the many injured in today's horrific mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School. This is one of several prayer vigils and services that are taking place across the Twin Cities tonight as the whole state comes together to grieve this senseless loss. Now, Monday, and I know many people watching, maybe their kids, maybe your grandkids, have experienced this this week. Monday was the first day back at school for the children at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesot. So today at 8:15 this morning, all of the school students filled the pews of the school's church for the first Mass of the year, something that is very much a tradition at Catholic schools and certainly this one. Just before 8:30, the first 911 calls started coming in. A shooter had begun firing into the church from outside of the building, firing through the church's stained glass windows. Police say the doors of the church appear to have been barricaded by from the outside with two by four wood planks trapping everyone inside. Accounts have varied on whether the gunfire lasted 45 seconds or two minutes. And there's a lot of things that we are still learning. But all of the reports describe steady gunfire consistent with a semiautomatic weapon. As one parent who was sitting in the back of the church at the time told the Minnesota Star Tribune, the shooter just pepper sprayed through the stained glass windows into the building. 50 to 100 shots. Without anywhere to run, nowhere to go, the children and adults inside the church ducked under their pews. That's what they were forced to do. A 25 year old youth minister told the New York Times today that she was just feet away from the window and that she believes that the pew in the church actually saved her life. And she put it this way, there was a hole and the bullets come in ricocheting off of stuff. Kids were shot. It was horrifying. A mother of an eighth grader who was in the church at the same time said that her son thought it was fireworks or a gas explosion until he started to see people falling. The grandmother of another child in the church said her grandson described the scene as boom, boom, boom. She said that a girl next to him got hit in the head, he saw flesh fly and he himself was shot in the stomach. A fifth grade boy named Weston Halsney spoke to the press directly and here's how he described what he saw today.

News Anchor / Host (5:48)

Two kids who left for school this morning looking forward to what? Kids look forward to a day with friends and maybe some time in math class. Maybe they're not looking forward to that. Some time on the playground were killed an 8 year old and a 10 year old and the shooter also died of a self inflicted gunshot wound on the scene. Seventeen others were injured. Fourteen of them are children between the ages of six and 15. The other three were all parishioners in their 80s. The injured were rushed to Hennepin County Medical center and seven of the children were brought in as critical patients. Four required an operation. A bystander in the emergency room described the scene to the New York Times today saying this the hospital staff rushed to move patients out of rooms and into hallways to make room for the victims of the shooting. She said she heard one child who was being brought into the ER screaming that she didn't want to die. Thankfully all of the injured are expected to survive, although they will have many years of trauma from this experience. Some have even been discharged, started to get discharged which is certainly a bit of good news and a horrific day that was at the hospital. Back at the school, parents spent a little over an hour this morning experiencing the gut wrenching agony of not knowing if their children were okay. At around you can see some pictures of them there being reunited. At around 10am parents were reunited with their children. The kids had been locked down for safety in the school's basement gymnasium since the since earlier in the morning neighbors described seeing kids walk out with blood down the shirts of their green and blue school uniforms. Some kids were weren't even wearing shoes. One of the editors of the Minnesota Star Tribune is a parent at the school and was among the parents at the reunification point. She said that many of the students were crying, others were silent and looked terrified. Her own daughter told her that the church is ruined and that she is scared to go back. I have been thinking as I'm Sure. Everybody who has consumed this today about has been doing as well. About my kids who happen to be about the same ages as the two who were killed, about sending them off to school this morning. I've been thinking about their friends and their teachers, about all the parents, about all the grandparents out there navigating the return to school. And all they should be hoping to do is have someone to sit with at lunch or someone to play with on the playground. And they should be waiting to hear an update when they get home. And that is not what these parents at this school experience today. Sorry. This is a tough one. Having your child killed while they are sitting in a pew for a morning prayer service is not what any parent should have to worry about. And I have felt a mixture of anger and a lot of anger and emotional exhaustion about this today, as I'm sure many of you have, because we have been here so many times. So many times. And yet again, like clockwork, half the politicians in our country have little more to offer than thoughts and prayers. That is all they are offering. Join us all. Join all of us in praying for the victims was Vice President J.D. vance's response today. That's what he said. That's it. Please join me in praying for everyone involved. Trump wrote, we have seen this play out over and over again. There is a shooting, then come the thoughts and prayers, and then comes the attempt to shift the focus. This is what always happens. You're going to start seeing narratives. You're already seeing them. They're already out there about how the shooter was trans. You're going to see narratives about how the shooter appeared to be anti Trump and anti Semitic and clearly was in the midst of a mental health crisis. There's no question about that. But here's the thing. There are trans people all over the world. There are anti Semitic people, unfortunately, all over the world, and people filled with plenty of political hate all over the world. And mental health issues are not unique to the United States. And yes, we should do more to address them, but it's also an issue all over the world. But this is the only country where shootings like this, this one, happen this often. The United States not only has the highest rate of gun violence of any country in the world, it's become a leading cause of death for young people and teenagers in this country. That should make everybody angry. Weaponizing the shooter's identity is meant to distract from what matters. That is what they are doing, trying to distract from what matters. Here's what matters. Today's shooter bought the what? Rifle, handgun and shotgun. They used to do what they did today. Legally, we live in a country with more guns than people, where there are not universal background checks, there are not bans on assault weapons, and it is far too easy to buy a gun. It's the guns, everyone. It's not really a secret. There are a lot of things to feel outraged about right now. And I try, I really try hard not to be a constant driver of rip your hair out outrage here. But I hope this is something that you feel moved to do something about. It's not just about today. And today was an absolute tragedy. This is a never ending cycle that doesn't seem to stop. But here's the thing. Anger can turn into activism. I know this from my years working in politics. Activism can turn into pressure on elected officials. And that pressure can change laws. It's not hopeless at all. As much as this is upsetting to me and I'm sure many of you, it is possible. I mean, just look to the events of three years ago on May 14, 2022, and I know we all remember this quite well, and probably it sat with us in the same way. A white supremacist committed a mass shooting at a supermarket in a predominantly black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. Ten people were killed and three were injured. Ten days later, on May 24, 2022, a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. And I think a lot of us remember where we were when we heard that news. There were plenty of thoughts and prayers and diversions then, too. That's what they did then, too. There was a whole discourse about, quote, hardening the doors. Do you remember that? As if doors were the reason we kept having mass shootings. It's not about the doors, but the people of Buffalo and Uvalde and the rest of the United States did not let politicians get away with it. Weeks after those shootings, parents and family members of victims made the trek to D.C. to lobby Congress in person. They testified before both the House and the Senate, demanding Congress actually do something about guns in this country. The mother of one Buffalo shooting victim told Congress, if after hearing from me and the other people testifying here today does not move you to act on gun laws, I invite you to my home to help me to clean Zaire's wounds so that you may see up close the damage that has been caused to my son and my community. That's what she said. A few weeks after that, Congress passed a bill. It was called. There was A journey there to get to the bill, but it was called the bipartisan Safer Communities Act. And the bill expanded the background check system for gun buyers under the age of 21. It toughened laws against trafficking guns and the practice of having someone buy a gun for someone else, also known as straw purchasing. It set aside funding for state law enforcement to be able to actually enforce red flag laws. It closed what was known as the boyfriend loophole, expanding the ban that kept domestic abusers from buying firearms to recent dating partners rather than just spouses. Of course, that should have been the law. It wasn't perfect, this bill. It wasn't. It wasn't everything Democrats wanted, but it was something. And on June 25th of 2022, President Biden signed that bill into law. It was just 42 days after the mass shooting in Buffalo. Lawmakers in this country were actually able to do something about our nation's gun problem for the first time in several decades. Now, clearly, our nation's gun laws are not enough. But that means that if politicians actually want to do something to stop these shootings, there is a lot left for them to do. But thoughts and prayers alone are not going to cut it.

News Anchor / Host (29:25)

Today. As we've been talking about all show so far, we are covering a uniquely American tragedy yet again, and this time at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, where this morning a shooter killed two children and injured 17 others, including 14 other children. And yet again, as families mourn and another community is left devastated by gun violence, we as a country are left to contend with the same damning fact that has lingered over us for decades. That of the most developed and richest nations in the world, the United States, has by far the highest rate of gun violence. And that is in no small part due to a point Mayor Fry just made. We have by far the most guns per capita than any other country. Just over 120 guns for every 100 people. More guns than people. And we once again grapple with this national crisis. We can't ignore what is also happening in the background. Donald Trump has deployed thousands of federal troops to the nation's capital to combat what he has declared a crime emergency is apparently such an emergency that in addition to patrols and occasionally aiding with arrests, National Guard troops will also be helping with sanitation and landscaping duties. Yes, that is picking up trash and laying mulch to address the apparent crime emergency happening in the nation's capital. Now, based on estimations, this DC deployment could be costing around $1 million a day, money that could be spent while supporting programs that fight crime, like, say, addressing gun violence, for example. So there is money and political will among Trump and Republicans to put American troops in American cities. We're seeing that there's none of that when it comes to combating mass gun violence. That is unique to only here. Joining me now is Minnesota Democratic Senator Tina Smith. Senator Smith, it is great to see you. And I was thinking earlier today just about you and speaking with you just a couple of months ago about another terrible tragedy and the loss of a good friend of yours and the targeting of elected officials. Your state has been through so much. Let me just start by asking you how the community, the Minneapolis community is doing. How are the people you've been speaking with? How are they doing this evening?

News Anchor / Host (37:50)

Coming up, there's breaking news tonight just in about the CDC director and the White House pushing her out. More on that. What's the latest and the public health implications of it all, which is so important after a short break. Okay, so it's back to school season. It's also about to be flu season. And a new COVID 19 variant is sweeping across the United States. So it's one hell of a time to get this news today. And a lot of it is still developing. But here's the headline from The Washington Post, CDC director ousted after RFK Jr pushed her to change vaccine policy. Now, according to the Post, CDC Director Susan Menarez was pressed for days by Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. S administration lawyers and other officials over whether she would support rescinding certain approvals for coronavirus vaccines. And Monarz reportedly resisted that pressure, prompting Secretary Kennedy to, quote, urge her to resign for not supporting President Trump's agenda. The Post reports that Manara's even went so far as to enlist the help of Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy to try and stay in her job. But that reportedly only angered RFK Jr. Tonight, lawyers representing Director Manaros are pushing back on these reports, saying that she has neither resigned nor yet has been fired and that she will not go quietly. They write in a statement, quote, when CDC Director Susan Menarez refused to rubber stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. For that, she has been targeted. Dr. Minarez has neither resigned nor received notification from the White House that she has been fired. And as a person of integrity and devoted to science, she will not resign. Now, just moments ago, the White House released a statement saying that Dr. Manaros has now officially been terminated by the White House. Tonight, at least four other top CDC officials have resigned in what appears to be a coordinated response to all of this. I should note that the CDC director is not some holdover from the Biden administration. She's not a deep stater, as they call them. This was Donald Trump's hand picked choice to lead the cdc. She was confirmed by the Senate less than a month ago. Since that time, we have seen a deadly shooting at CDC headquarters by an anti vaccine extremist. We've seen hundreds of current and former CDC staff members sign an open letter urging Secretary Kennedy to to stop spreading vaccine misinformation. Please. And we've seen widespread criticism of Kennedy's decision to kill vital vaccine research, including from Trump's own surgeon general during his first term. But the Trump administration's response to all of that is not to get rid of RFK Jr. If only is to try and get rid of the people standing up to him, even the ones Trump himself appointed. They were confirmed by the Republican Senate. The head of the American Public Health association joins me here next. We're continuing to follow the breaking news that the Trump administration is reportedly trying to oust their own CDC director less than a month after she was confirmed. And the attempted ouster comes after the director reportedly refused to go along with RFK Jr. S anti vaccine agenda. Tonight, the CDC director says through her lawyers that she has not been fired and will not resign. But the White House said just moments ago that Manara has been, quote, terminated from her position. We'll have to learn more. Joining Me now is Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American public health association. Dr. Benjamin, thank you for being here with me. We're all trying to digest this news and I think a lot of people watching are trying to understand how it's going to impact them, which I think we're going to try to explain here. It was not just the CDC director. It was also a number of others who resigned and put out statements as well. It seems like a lot of people in the leadership of the CDC are no longer in their roles. What kind of impact could that have on the work that they do that impacts people who are watching?