Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) summer meeting in Minneapolis on Monday that his office would continue legal challenges against President Donald Trump, vowing not to “scapegoat” transgender Americans just two days before a transgender-identifying shooter opened fire at a Catholic school in the city.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison pledged at the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) summer meeting on August 25 that his office would continue filing lawsuits against President Donald Trump.
“We’ll sue him 44 more and 44 more after that. And we have sued him for gender affirming care. Yes, we are not going to scapegoat our transgender community,” Ellison declared.
Two days later, on August 27, a shooter identified by police as Robin Westman, a biological male born Robert Westman who changed his name at 17 and identified as female, opened fire during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. Law enforcement officials said the gunman used a pistol, a rifle, and a shotgun to fire through church windows while children were seated in pews. Two children were killed and 17 others injured before the attacker took his own life.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel later announced the incident is being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics. A YouTube channel linked to the gunman included a manifesto and images of firearms with anti-Trump messages written on them, including “Kill Donald Trump.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) responded to the shooting by calling for additional gun control measures before details about the firearms or how they were obtained were made public. “Students and teachers should not be putting their lives on the line just by going back to school. We must do more to stop gun violence in America,” Schumer posted on X. Breitbart News noted this was not the first time Schumer urged new restrictions before facts were known, referencing his similar comments following the Midland/Odessa, Texas, shooting in 2019.
Actress Mia Farrow also weighed in shortly after the incident, writing on Bluesky that Republican lawmakers and the National Rifle Association (NRA) were to blame, citing what she called “millions in bribes” from gun manufacturers. Her statement came the same day officials confirmed the shooter left anti-Trump and anti-Christian messages on weapons used in the attack. Other Democrats, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, echoed calls for stricter gun laws in the immediate aftermath. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, issued a proclamation ordering U.S. flags flown at half-staff through August 31 in honor of the victims.
Ellison’s remarks came during a series of party strategy sessions in Minneapolis that week. The event opened with an acknowledgment honoring the Dakota Oyate as the “original stewards” of the region’s lands and waters.
At the same gathering, a representative from the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit with documented financial ties to billionaire George Soros, urged Democrats to avoid focusing on “migrant crime” or “carjackings” in their messaging. Instead, the group argued party leaders should highlight issues such as homelessness and mental health. The Vera Institute has received more than $11 million from Soros’s Foundation to Promote Open Society since 2016 and has won hundreds of millions in federal contracts for immigration-related services.
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