Tulsi Gabbard criticizes Thompson for referring to the Guard shooting as an ‘unfortunate accident’

Criticism Surrounds Comment on National Guard Shooting

Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, took issue on Friday with Rep. Bennie Thompson’s remarks regarding the shooting of two West Virginia National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C. Thompson had referred to the incident as an “unfortunate accident” during a recent hearing.

The Democratic representative, who leads the House Homeland Security Committee, made these comments during a Thursday session focused on “Global Threats to the Homeland,” which included input from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

“It’s completely upsetting,” Gabbard expressed on a talk show. “He cannot directly say what this attack was, and even more concerning, he refuses to acknowledge it. This was a terrorist attack against our National Guard members—people who are putting their lives on the line to protect us.”

On the eve of Thanksgiving, two National Guardsmen were shot near the White House, allegedly by suspected Afghan refugees. Special Sarah Beckström sadly lost her life, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe sustained serious injuries.

During the hearing, Thompson stated, “Mr. Secretary, you and the gentleman from the NCTC (Joe Kent) are referring to an unfortunate accident that resulted in the death of a National Guard member.”

Noem quickly countered, asking, “Do you think it was an unfortunate accident? It was a terrorist attack.”

Gabbard emphasized that the Guardsmen’s primary role was to ensure the safety of Americans and remarked that the exchange between Thompson and Noem highlighted deep-rooted issues in understanding threats. She noted, “Leaders across the political spectrum seem hesitant to directly confront this Islamist terrorist threat, which contributes to the precarious situation we find ourselves in.”

On Friday, when co-host Kate Bolduan from CNN asked Thompson if he still stood by his “unfortunate accident” comment, he responded, “Oh, absolutely not.” He added, “To clarify, I was trying to build a case that suggested [Kristi Noem] and Joe Biden approved this person’s asylum application, so casting blame on Joe Biden isn’t entirely fair. We were moving in that direction… so the question is…”