In what has become commonplace after every mass shooting, a parade of leftists denigrated the concept of “thoughts and prayers” as they pushed for gun control after Saturday’s shooting at San Diego’s Chabad of Poway Synagogue.

While President Donald Trump and others used the age-old phrase to express sympathy for the victims and appeal to a higher power, leftists mocked the term in favor of gun control. (RELATED: Trump Praises Off-Duty Border Patrol Agent Who Engaged Synagogue Shooter)

“Spare us your thoughts and prayers,” Rep. Eric Swalwell tweeted. “It’s an alibi for inaction. You told the NRA yesterday you’d keep dangerous guns in the hands of dangerous people. We will take it from here with action.”

Spare us your thoughts and prayers. It’s an alibi for inaction. You told the NRA yesterday you’d keep dangerous guns in the hands of dangerous people. We will take it from here with action. https://t.co/YrCMhuIhk0 — Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) April 27, 2019



Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Democratic presidential candidate and South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, lamented how “helpless it feels to only have thoughts and prayers to offer a community and a country that deserve much more.”

How helpless it feels to only have thoughts and prayers to offer a community and a country that deserve much more. My heart is with those in Poway today. I have hope for a kinder, more peaceful future, met with action and legislation. We are with you today, and everyday. — Chasten Buttigieg (@Chas10Buttigieg) April 27, 2019

Plenty more echoed the same theme. (RELATED: As Democrats Use San Diego Synagogue Shooting To Push Gun Control, Conservatives Push Back)

As a Californian, my state has been hit by so many mass shootings while Trump only offers useless thoughts and prayers. Enough is enough. Unless we make substantial changes to our gun laws, history will repeat itself again and again at the cost of so many innocent lives. — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) April 27, 2019

The time for thoughts and prayers has passed. Today’s violent attack at Chabad of Poway appears to be a brutal hate crime. Anti-semitism continues to rear its ugly head right here at home. These victims fall prey to gun violence for just exercising their right to worship. — Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) April 27, 2019

Thoughts and prayers without policy change are useless. #SanDiego — Rev. Rob Lee (@roblee4) April 27, 2019

No more damn #thoughtsandprayers. Get the damn guns. — Rabbi Latz (@RavMABAY) April 27, 2019

Vicious hatred again strikes a Jewish community— most perniciously, on this last day of Passover. We can no longer simply send thoughts and prayers. We must fight for our humanity against this insidious virus of violence. https://t.co/XtNC7ieZLu — Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) April 27, 2019

No more thoughts and prayers. We must elect courageous leaders who will say NO to dark money and DEMAND votes on common sense gun safety legislation. — MJ Hegar (@mjhegar) April 28, 2019

We don’t want your ‘thoughts and prayers’ We want you to stop enabling white nationalism and antisemitism in this country. We want you to stop using your support for Israel and Netanyahu’s racist government as a cover for your hate. WE WANT YOU TO STOP https://t.co/Hv9vPtQjBQ — IfNotNow???? (@IfNotNowOrg) April 27, 2019

Sick and tired of your worthless thoughts and prayers while you kowtow to the @NRA you worthless piece of racist dung. — Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) April 27, 2019



Meanwhile, Caleb Hull’s response seemed to sum it all up. “‘Spare us your thoughts and prayers’ is a very odd thing to say in response to a shooting in a place where people pray,” he wrote.

“Spare us your thoughts and prayers” is a very odd thing to say in response to a shooting in a place where people pray. https://t.co/mc0CSrLP6k — Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) April 28, 2019

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