Sebastian Gorka, former White House deputy assistant, sparred with CNN anchor Brianna Keilar over whether the transgender identity of Minneapolis school shooter Robin Westman was relevant to national discussion. The exchange occurred on State of the Union as Gorka pressed the importance of examining ideological motivations in targeted school attacks.
Westman, a 23-year-old alumnus of Annunciation Catholic School, opened fire at the campus, killing several victims before being stopped by police. Authorities later confirmed Westman identified as transgender and had weapons marked with anti-Christian and political messages, including “Kill Trump.” The case quickly became a flashpoint in debates over whether ideology, gender identity, or mental health played a defining role in the attack.
Keilar argued that focusing on Westman’s gender identity was a distraction from the larger problem of gun violence. She cited a U.S. Secret Service study showing that the overwhelming majority of mass attackers in recent years were men, not individuals who identified as transgender. Gorka responded that such data conflates gang violence and suicides with ideologically motivated attacks on schools, and insisted that a growing pattern of shooters with gender or identity conflicts targeting Christian institutions cannot be ignored.
Gorka stated that there have been at least seven recent mass shootings involving transgender or gender-conflicted individuals, and that ideological motives must be taken seriously when faith-based communities are deliberately targeted. He accused CNN of pushing “pseudo facts” to downplay the shooter’s identity and intentions, while ignoring the role ideology plays in shaping violence against Christian and conservative institutions.
The exchange underscored the broader divide between conservative and liberal narratives on mass violence. While progressives tend to frame the issue primarily as gun control or mental health, conservatives like Gorka argue that ideology—including radical gender politics and anti-Christian hostility—plays a direct and dangerous role.
