Left-wing commentators have voiced their blame towards former President Donald Trump following the mass shooting in Washington, D.C., which resulted in the death of National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom. Notable figures, such as podcaster Wajahat Ali and author John Pavlovitz, claimed that the shootings—Beckstrom and Sgt. Andrew Wolf—were facilitated by Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard in American cities.
Pavlovitz stated on X that “Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth are responsible for endangering the National Guard.” This came shortly after 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Rakanwal allegedly shot and killed Beckstrom and Wolf in what authorities described as a targeted attack near the White House.
Following the announcement of Beckstrom’s death, President Trump revealed that Wolf was still “fighting for his life.” Rakanwal was apprehended after being wounded by other National Guard personnel and is currently recovering in a hospital.
Trump blamed the Biden administration for allegedly failing to properly vet Rakanwal and other Afghan refugees who entered the United States during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. In a post on Truth Social, he criticized the mass evacuation efforts, stating, “Hundreds of thousands of people flowed into our country completely unvetted and unchecked.” He further emphasized that the nation wouldn’t forget the actions taken by President Biden during that time.
Despite the Biden administration’s claims of conducting proper vetting for over 120,000 evacuees, reports indicate that Rakanwal’s asylum request was approved in April 2025 under Trump’s administration.
Against this backdrop, liberal voices continued to link Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to the shooting. Ali remarked on X that the National Guard “should never have been sent to Washington, D.C.,” asserting that “they deserve better.” Other commentators, including Jack Hopkins, criticized the necessity of deploying troops, pointing out that a woman lost her life in what they described as a reckless decision.
Dean Obeidallah commented further on the situation, stating that the responsibility for the tragedy lay with Trump’s decisions, insisting that “this attack is all Trump’s fault. Trump should resign!”
Regarding the overall narrative, some media outlets, including a liberal editorial board at the New York Times, contended that, while Trump’s deployment of the National Guard was “outrageous,” the ultimate blame rested with the shooter himself. They cautioned against suggesting that the tragedy could have been avoided simply based on Trump’s military decisions.
FOX News Digital has sought comments from the White House. Trump, on his part, labeled the shooting a crime against the nation, declaring that the perpetrators would face “the highest possible price” for their actions.
