President Trump stated that the individual responsible for the shooting of two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., was permitted entry into the country to “make it look cool,” attributing this to insufficient vetting during a tense interaction with journalists.
“He went crazy—we see that too frequently with people like this,” Trump remarked, responding to a question about Rahmanullah Rakanwal’s connection to the CIA. “There was absolutely no vetting. They came in without any evaluation whatsoever.”
“And there are a lot of others here. We’re going to get them out,” he added.
After expressing gratitude to the Sixth Army for their service during a Thanksgiving video call, Trump also acknowledged the unfortunate passing of Sarah Beckstrom from the West Virginia National Guard, who had been critically injured by the suspect earlier in the week.
Rakanwal was granted entry into the U.S. in 2021 under the Biden administration’s Operation Welcoming Allies program, designed for Afghans who have aided the U.S. The president expressed outrage when a reporter suggested that Afghan refugees had undergone proper vetting.
“Are you stupid?” Trump retorted when pressed on the issue. “They flew in with thousands of people who shouldn’t be here, and you’re just asking questions because you’re an idiot.”
Following his second term’s initiation, Trump sought to halt the resettlement of Afghan refugees and later imposed travel restrictions from the nation.
In reaction to the shooting incident, the Trump administration announced an indefinite suspension of all immigration applications for Afghan nationals to reassess vetting procedures.
Joseph Edlow, the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, stated that a comprehensive review of green cards for individuals from nations of concern is now underway.
Rakanwal, a member of Afghanistan’s elite NDS-03 counterterrorism unit, reportedly collaborated with the CIA, though specifics were not disclosed by agency officials.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed Rakanwal’s affiliation with the agency but underscored the suspect should never have been allowed into the country.
With a family of five, Rakanwal traveled from Washington State to the capital, where authorities reported he executed a violent ambush just a few blocks from the White House.
Sadly, Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries, and another Guardsman, Andrew Wolf, was critically injured in the same shooting.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro indicated that Rakanwal would face murder charges, while Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized that the prosecution would seek the death penalty.
Currently, Rakanwal faces multiple assault charges alongside weapon possession, which could lead to a 15-year sentence. He was injured during an encounter with the National Guard and is now recuperating.
