Thompson Refers to Guardsman’s Death as “Unfortunate Accident”
Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson from Mississippi described the death of a National Guardsman, which occurred on November 26, as “an unfortunate accident.” His comments came during a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee and followed the tragic death of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom from the West Virginia National Guard.
Thompson’s remarks were met with immediate criticism from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who challenged his choice of words. Republican Representative Andy Ogles from Tennessee joined in, accusing Democrats of showing disrespect.
“Mrs. Secretary, you and the gentlemen of NCTC. I’m referencing an unfortunate accident that resulted in the death of a National Guard member,” Thompson stated. In response, Noem pushed back, saying, “Do you think it was an unfortunate accident? It was a terrorist attack. He shot a National Guardsman in the head.”
Thompson then referred to it as an “unfortunate situation” and expressed discontent with Noem’s comments, which blamed former President Joe Biden for the incident, despite the fact that it occurred during Donald Trump’s presidency. It was reported that, in April, the Biden administration extended asylum for the suspect involved in the shooting.
The individual accused of the attack, Rahmanullah Rakanwal, had entered the U.S. in September 2021 following the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. Prior to this, he had worked with the CIA and was part of the Biden administration’s Operation Welcoming Allies, which facilitated the resettlement of Afghans who assisted U.S. forces.
Noem emphasized the significance of Lakhanwal’s entry into America and pointed out the vetting failures attributed to the Biden administration.
As the discussions progressed, Thompson’s time for speaking concluded, prompting Ogles to interject. “The point is, Mr. Chairman. It was a murder in Washington, D.C. It was not an unfortunate incident, and those comments are rude!” he asserted.
Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino from New York, who was presiding, ruled Ogles’ remarks out of order.
In addition to Specialist Beckstrom, Lakhanwal is also suspected of fatally shooting Air Force Staff Sergeant Johnson. Andrew Wolfe was reported to be in critical condition following the incident but has since shown signs of recovery.
