Statement from Phillip C. Parrish, Candidate for Governor of Minnesota 2026
Fellow Minnesotans,
The Minnesota DFL’s latest propaganda stunt—a disingenuous post touting their $70 million “investment” in community-based violence prevention while peddling cherry-picked charts on gun safety—is nothing short of harmful exploitation. As a retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander with 21 years in intelligence and counterterrorism, I’ve seen enough deception to recognize this for what it is: a failed agenda wrapped in misleading rhetoric that distracts from real solutions, perpetuates division, and ultimately endangers our communities. It’s time to call out the DFL’s hypocrisy and demand accountability for the harm their propaganda inflicts on hardworking Minnesotans.
Let’s start with their so-called “life-saving” programs. The DFL boasts about allocating $70 million over five years for community violence grants in their 2023 public safety bill, claiming these efforts “save lives.” Yet, under their trifecta control since then, gun deaths in Minnesota rose 6% in 2024 to 564, according to Protect Minnesota. Minneapolis, ground zero for their initiatives, has seen a spike in summer 2025 shootings, with funds going untracked and calls for audits ignored. House Republicans tried to redirect $42 million of this “dormant” money to actual public safety, but the DFL blocked it. This isn’t progress—it’s waste, and their propaganda hides it, misleading voters into thinking more spending equals safety while crime surges.
Worse, their selective chart from Everytown for Gun Safety implies stronger gun laws mean fewer deaths, but it’s a blatant distortion. Minnesota ranks 14th in “gun law strength” with a death rate of 8.9 per 100,000, yet states like Illinois (#6) have higher rates at 17.5. RAND research shows only supportive, not conclusive, evidence that policies like background checks reduce homicides, with mixed results overall. Guns are tools, not perpetrators—violence stems from unaddressed root causes like mental health crises and generational trauma, which the DFL ignores while obsessing over disarming law-abiding citizens. Their propaganda causes real harm by politicizing tragedies, like the August 27, 2025, Annunciation Catholic School shooting that killed two and injured others despite their vaunted 2023 laws—the shooter passed checks legally. This fearmongering erodes Second Amendment rights, fosters distrust, and diverts resources from proven fixes like trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, which reduces PTSD by 50-70% in at-risk youth.
The DFL’s failed agendas—soft-on-crime policies, unaccountable spending, and divisive rhetoric—have emboldened criminals while their propaganda confuses and harms Minnesotans. From shielding fraud in scandals like Feeding Our Future to endorsing censorship that silences dissent, they’ve strayed from fairness, prioritizing power over people. Enough. As your next Governor, I’ll root out this corruption, focus on mental health and enforcement, and restore unity without the lies.
Join me in rejecting this harmful charade. Minnesotans deserve truth, safety, and real leadership.
Sincerely,
Phillip C. Parrish
Candidate for Governor of Minnesota 2026
LCDR, USN (Ret.)
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