Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

David Hogg Just Tweeted What to Expect From Politicians in the Wake of Another School Shooting, and They're Already Proving Him Right

David Hogg Just Tweeted What to Expect From Politicians in the Wake of Another School Shooting, and They're Already Proving Him Right
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 24: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student David Hogg speaks onstage at March For Our Lives on March 24, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for March For Our Lives)

We've seen this before.

Parkland school shooting survivor David Hogg used his Twitter account to slam politicians for their inaction on mass shootings in the wake of yet another school shooting. At least ten people were killed after 17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis stormed Santa Fe High School, 35 miles from Houston, Texas, with assault weapons.

“Get ready for two weeks of media coverage of politicians acting like they give a shit when in reality they just want to boost their approval ratings before midterms,” Hogg, who has become an outspoken advocate for gun control since surviving the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, wrote on Twitter.


Hogg directed his criticisms toward a litany of politicians who took to Twitter to share the same messages offering "thoughts and prayers" after mass shootings occur.

One of them was Vice President Mike Pence, who wrote: "To the students, families, teachers of Santa Fe High School, all of those affected and the entire community: We are with you, you are in our prayers, and you're in the prayers of the American people."

Another was Ted Cruz, a Senate Republican who is gearing up for re-election.

"Heidi and I are keeping all the students and faculty at Santa Fe High School in our prayers this morning, along with all first responders on the scene," Cruz wrote. "Please be safe and heed warnings from local officials."

And yet another was President Donald Trump himself.

"We grieve for the terrible loss of life, and send our support and love to everyone affected by this horrible attack in Texas," the president's message reads. "To the students, families, teachers and personnel at Santa Fe High School – we are with you in this tragic hour, and we will be with you forever..."

All three of these men issued similar messages following the Stoneman Douglas shooting.

Cruz, in particular, was called out by Shannon Watts of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Watts reminded her followers that Cruz, for all his talk of thoughts and prayers, "voted against universal background checks" after the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting.

Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA) also slammed Cruz, noting his track record of accepting "massive sums of money" from the NRA.

"There is nothing wrong about praying for victims & first responders at the school shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas. We should pray for them. But there is something very wrong if that is all you do," he wrote.

Cruz, noted another Twitter user, received an A+ rating from the NRA and "has accepted $77,450 in campaign donations from them this year."

Texas Governor Greg Abbott offered some of the same during a news conference in which he confirmed the shooter's identity and that explosives had been found around the school.

The shooter "has no criminal history," he said. "His slate is pretty clean," he added, noting that the events leading up to the shooting lacked "the same kind of warning signs."

Several politicians agreed that the time for "thoughts and prayers" had long come to an end.

"We must act to keep our schools and our children safe. Words of condolence are not enough," wrote Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA).

"We cannot allow this to continue. We must say #NeverAgain with our actions, not just our words," wrote Representative Elijah Cummings (D-MA).

"How many more families and communities must grieve?" asked Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). "Enough is enough."

Indeed, school shootings have become so commonplace that it seems inevitable that politicians will offer their "thoughts and prayers" before business proceeds as usual.

A student who survived today's shooting told a reporter that she, in fact, expected a shooting would happen at her school.

It was only a matter of time.

"It's been happening everywhere," she said. "I've always kind of felt like eventually it was going to happen here too."

The school students participated in the National School Walkout last month to protest legislative inaction amid gun violence in schools. Students described a scene of utter chaos; one student said she merely "ran as fast as I could."

Another student described "about 30 seconds to three minutes of just straight chaos, everyone crying, like, 'we're going to die,'" said student Damon Rabon.

Dimitrios Pagourtzis is being held on capital murder without bond. Additional charges may follow, according to the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office.

More from News

Clary Aiken; Kelly Clarkson
@kellyclarksonshow/TikTok

Kelly Clarkson Hilariously Forgot Clay Aiken Didn't Win 'American Idol'—And His Face Says It All

American Idol buddies Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson reunited for an interview on her talk show to reminisce about their time on the reality competition TV show and going on tour together.

While fun moments were shared, fans couldn't help but crack up about Clarkson's faux pas when she and Aiken first sat down together to discuss his new Christmas album, Christmas Bells Are Ringing.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jennfier Lopez
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

Jennifer Lopez Expertly Handles Interviewer's Rude Comment About Her Age In Viral Video

At 55, actor and music star Jennifer Lopez demonstrated she's unstoppable, which is coincidentally the title of her new biographical sports film.

When Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis joked about Lopez "getting up there" in age during a recent Q&A, her response was surprisingly positive.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chanel Stewart; Screenshot from "Win or Lose" trailer
@chanelstewart/Instagram; Walt Disney Studios

Trans Voice Actor Speaks Out After Disney Cuts Trans Storyline From New Pixar Animated Series

In an interview with Deadline, actor Chanel Stewart said she's "disheartened" by Disney's decision to edit out her trans character's storyline in Pixar's upcoming show Win or Lose.

The original animated series from Disney-owned Pixar follows a co-ed middle school softball team, the Pickles, as they approach their championship game. Each of the eight episodes, set to debut on Disney+ on February 19, will highlight a different member of the team.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nick Jonas; Elon Musk
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SiriusXM; Allison Robbert-Pool/Getty Images

Nick Jonas Sparks Fan Backlash After Cozying Up To Musk With Bizarre Tweet Exchange

Singer Nick Jonas sparked backlash from fans after cozying up to billionaire Elon Musk after the X owner used a GIF of the Jonas Brothers in a boastful tweet about Tesla's stock performance.

Tesla shares surged to an all-time high last week, surpassing their previous record set in 2021. The stock closed at $424.77, surpassing its former peak of $409.97 on November 4, 2021, by around $15. Tesla’s market value has increased by approximately 71% this year, with nearly all of those gains occurring since President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory early last month.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman putting up a "don't speak" hand gesture towards other woman
Obie Fernandez/GettyImages

People Divulge The Insults That Went Way Too Far

These days, social media ignore the old adage of "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all."

People hide behind anonymity and say cruel things about strangers they don't even know, which is extremely mean but also a cowardly way to be combative.

Keep ReadingShow less