Thompson Clarifies Comments on National Guard Shooting

After calling the shooting deaths of two West Virginia National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., an “unfortunate accident” during a hearing on Thursday, Rep. Bennie Thompson from Mississippi admitted on Friday that he misspoke. He was attempting to make a different point altogether.

In an appearance on CNN News Central, co-host Kate Bolduan asked Thompson if he stood by his earlier statement regarding the shooting. He firmly responded, “Oh, absolutely not.” He explained, “Just to be clear, I was moving towards an argument that said Joe Biden approved this person’s asylum application, so you can’t blame Joe Biden for this situation.” He seemed to be considering a larger narrative.

Bolduan then pressed him with an important question: “Are you saying you misspoke?” “Oh, of course. Of course,” Thompson acknowledged before the conversation shifted to medical care.

As the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, Thompson faced backlash following his comments during the hearing. The tragic event occurred on the night before Thanksgiving, when West Virginia National Guard Sgt. Sarah Beckstrom was fatally shot, along with another soldier, while Rahmanullah Rakanwar, an Afghan refugee, attacked them, seriously injuring another individual.

During the “Global Threats to the Homeland” hearing, Thompson confronted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Following a debate with FBI Director Michael Glasheen concerning Antifa’s location, he questioned who had authorized Rakanwar’s review.

Thompson addressed Noem, noting the previous mention of an “unfortunate accident” associated with the death of a National Guard member. This prompted Noem to respond that it was, in fact, a “terrorist attack.” Thompson then insisted, “I’m going to make this clear. Now, answer me.” Noem reiterated that “he shot us,” which seemed to catch Thompson off guard.

Furthermore, he directed his attention towards Chairman Andrew Garbarino, asking him to intervene and stop Noem’s interruptions. “It was an unfortunate situation, but you blamed it solely on Joe Biden. I want to know who approved this same person’s asylum application,” he stated.

After the hearing, the White House’s Rapid Response account criticized Thompson’s remarks, describing his comments about the attack on the National Guard members as merely being an “unfortunate accident.”