Former FBI agent Jonathan Gilliam told Newsmax that conservatives need to take a new and "tactical" look at last week's deadly church shooting in Minneapolis.
Gilliam told "American Agenda" on Monday that "I think we need to take a step back. The conservatives in this country and around the world need to take a step back, and they need to look at this in a tactical manner."
He said the shooting is the result of progressive politics.
Gilliam said the result of the ideological agenda has pushed the world "to the point where this is so common that when we question it, we are the ones who are being vilified. And the fact is, the education system is where this grooming has started."
The Minneapolis church shooter who killed two and left more than a dozen others injured and then committed suicide at the scene, was identified by police as Robin Westman, who had transitioned from Robert Westman, and left behind troubling videos and writings.
Gilliam said that is key to the crime.
"We should say his name," he said. "We should say it often because he's not a normal killer. His name should be said all the time, and his manifesto should be used as proof. But he was groomed. His mom was also groomed."
Westman's writings, said Gilliam, showed turmoil that should not have been left unaddressed, and point to more similar events in the future.
"It goes completely against nature and what's normal, and to a point where it's going to cause these types of disruptions and violence, the same way the left has disrupted and made cities more violent," he said. "It's all a part of the same subversive game."
In addition to identifying as a transgender woman, Westman claimed in writings to have brainwashed himself into that condition.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight’s special series and President Trump’s comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.