Minnesota Democrats faced backlash Thursday night after state Rep. Aisha Gomez allegedly told Republican Rep. Elliott Engen to “go f*cking shoot himself” during a heated debate over gun control legislation at the Minnesota Capitol, as reported [1] by The Gateway Pundit.
The incident reportedly occurred during a late-night legislative session tied to debate over House File 5140, a gun control proposal backed by Democrats that would ban certain firearms and large-capacity magazines.
According to Townhall reporter Dustin Grage, multiple members of the Minnesota House Republican Caucus confirmed Gomez made the remark during a Democrat-led sit-in after the legislation failed to advance.
BREAKING: Several members of the Minnesota House Republican Caucus have confirmed to me that Rep. Aisha Gomez (D) told Rep. @elliottengenMN [2] (R) to “go f*cking sh**t himself.”
The incident occurred during a Democrat “sit-in” after a radical gun control bill failed to pass. pic.twitter.com/7qVYLAWAnW [3]
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) May 15, 2026 [4]
The confrontation followed hours of emotional testimony related to recent shootings in Minnesota and broader debate surrounding gun legislation in the state.
A video shared online by Grage described the incident as happening after “a radical gun control bill failed to pass.”
Engen later appeared to confirm the exchange in a post on X.
“Didn’t have multiple Democrat colleagues yelling at me to ‘go f’ing shoot myself’ on my bingo card…” Engen wrote.
Can confirm.
Didn’t have multiple Democrat colleagues yelling at me to “go f’ing shoot myself” on my bingo card… https://t.co/veol1CXzxT [5]
— Elliott Engen (@elliottengenMN) May 15, 2026 [6]
Republicans said the comments crossed a line and immediately called for consequences against Gomez, who currently serves as chair of the Minnesota House Tax Committee.
Lisa Demuth and House GOP Leader Harry Niska released a joint statement demanding Gomez be removed from her leadership role and urging Gov. Tim Walz to publicly condemn the remarks.
“This kind of behavior is unacceptable, and it makes every person in this place less safe,” Demuth said.
“Someone willing to spew hate and accost colleagues is unfit to serve as a leader in Minnesota.”
Niska also criticized the comments, especially given the context of the legislative debate surrounding violence and public safety.
“After the horrible tragedies we’ve had in Minnesota over the last year, it is sickening that an elected official would think it’s acceptable to say the things we heard tonight,” Niska said.
“We had just heard hours of debate and heartbreaking stories of loss and violence. To respond to that with threats and hate is unconscionable and unacceptable.”
The legislation at the center of the debate mirrored a proposal previously introduced in the Minnesota Senate and would restrict ownership of certain firearms classified by supporters as “assault weapons,” along with high-capacity magazines.
Republicans, led by Demuth, argued the proposal should first move through additional committee review before advancing further.
pic.twitter.com/TVLWaIa1Od [7]
— MN House Republicans (@mnhousegop) May 15, 2026 [8]
As of Friday morning, neither Gomez nor Democratic leadership had publicly released a detailed response to the accusations.
The controversy quickly spread across social media overnight, with clips, statements, and reactions circulating widely among Minnesota political figures and activists.