Rosie O’Donnell faced backlash after falsely accusing a Minneapolis Catholic church shooter of being a “Republican, MAGA person, white supremacist.” The “A League of Their Own” star initially claimed the 23-year-old perpetrator fit that description but later retracted the statement.
O’Donnell’s initial assertion was quickly debunked when it emerged the shooter had written “Kill Donald Trump” on one of his gun magazines. Despite this, she doubled down on her claims, comparing the attack to the 1999 Columbine shooting and again labeling the perpetrator as a right-wing extremist. She criticized the NRA and accused America of prioritizing guns over children.
The shooter, later identified as a self-identified transgender woman with a nihilistic worldview, had no ties to far-right ideologies. O’Donnell’s apology drew sharp online criticism, with some calling it insincere. A user wrote, “She’s not sorry, she still means exactly what she said,” while another noted, “This is what is keeping this country so divided.”
The attack occurred during a Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, where students from the attached school were present. FBI Director Kash Patel described the incident as domestic terrorism driven by hate.