Trump Confronts Reporter Over National Guardsman Shooting

During a heated exchange with a White House reporter, President Donald Trump questioned her intelligence regarding the recent shooting of National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom, directly asking if she was “a stupid person.”

On Thursday, CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes pressed Trump about the suspect in Beckstrom’s shooting, Andrew Wolf, who had come to the U.S. from Afghanistan after passing through FBI and Department of Homeland Security screenings. She pointed out a report indicating the Justice Department’s Inspector General had blamed the Biden administration despite findings of thorough investigations into Afghans admitted to the country this year.

“Why is the Justice Department IG blaming the Biden administration when it just reported that there was a thorough investigation by DHS and the FBI into Afghans brought to the United States this year?” she inquired.

“Because they let him in. Are you stupid? Are you stupid?” Trump retorted. “They flew in with thousands of other people who shouldn’t be here. And you’re just asking questions because you’re an idiot.”

Details on the Shooting Incident

This confrontation occurred just after news broke that the suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Rakanwar, had shot and killed Beckstrom and Wolf in what authorities described as a targeted attack near the White House.

After confirming Beckstrom’s death, Trump stated that Wolf was still “fighting for his life.” Rakanwar was arrested after being injured by fellow National Guard members and is currently recovering in a hospital.

Rakanwar had entered the U.S. following the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 under the Biden administration, arriving about a month later as part of Operation Welcome Allies.

Trump criticized the previous administration for letting Rakanwar and other Afghan refugees enter without proper vetting during the 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan.

Controversial Responses and Reactions

After the shooting, Trump shared a post mentioning Afghan refugees transported on U.S. military planes, claiming, “Hundreds of thousands of people flowed into our country completely unvetted and unchecked. We will solve the problem, but we will never forget what crooked Joe Biden and his thugs did to our country!”

Former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had previously indicated that 120,000 individuals were evacuated following the U.S. withdrawal in September 2021, with nearly 800 aircraft involved in rapid evacuations during that time.

Mayorkas emphasized that proper screening procedures had been carried out for those entering the U.S., warning against individuals with troubling backgrounds.

Despite Cordes citing a recent Justice Department report indicating that a thorough examination of the refugees had been conducted, Trump’s comments about Afghan nationals not being vetted persisted. He reiterated his position, stating that these individuals had entered the country unchecked and that the withdrawal was a complete disaster.

This latest exchange is part of a pattern where Trump has had contentious interactions with female reporters, having called one a “pig” and another a “terrible person” recently.

In response to the attack, President Biden expressed on social media that he was “heartbroken” and called for unity against “violence of all kinds.”