The Trump White House responded forcefully after a reporter attempted to link President Trump to the shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, DC. The exchange unfolded after a violent attack carried out by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the United States in September 2021 following Joe Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal.

Officials confirmed that he overstayed his visa and was in the country illegally at the time of the shooting.

Lakanwal ambushed two members of the West Virginia National Guard on Wednesday, shooting them at close range in Washington, DC.

Trump's Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?

Both service members had been deployed to bolster safety measures in the nation’s capital.

Authorities later revealed that Lakanwal previously worked with the CIA as part of a partner force in Kandahar, Afghanistan, before entering the United States during the 2021 evacuation period.

BREAKING: The Afghan National Terrorist, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who shot members of the National Guard near The White House, worked with the CIA as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/FUMjsfNXPA

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 27, 2025

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

 

The two guardsmen were identified as Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe.

Beckstrom died from her injuries, while Wolfe remains in critical condition.

The attack prompted widespread concern about how Lakanwal entered and remained in the country, but a public debate broke out after a journalist attempted to assign responsibility to President Trump rather than the attacker.

Jane Mayer, a staff writer at The New Yorker, publicly criticized the deployment of National Guard members to Washington, DC.

Her comments appeared on X, where she wrote that the guardsmen “should never have been deployed.”

Mayer said, “This is so tragic, so unnecessary, these poor guardsmen should never have been deployed. I live in DC and watched as they had virtually nothing to do but pick up trash. It was for political show and at what a cost.”

Her post suggested the deployment, rather than the attacker, was the central issue surrounding the incident.

This is so tragic, so unnecessary, these poor guardsmen should never have been deployed. I live in DC and watched as they had virtually nothing to do but pick up trash. It was for political show and at what a cost. https://t.co/ABkOHNHAvG

— Jane Mayer (@JaneMayerNYer) November 26, 2025

The comments drew an immediate and forceful reply from Steven Cheung, President Trump’s White House Communications Director.

Cheung challenged the attempt to politicize the attack and defended the decision to assign National Guard members to the area.

He wrote, “Jane, respectfully, shut the f**k up for trying to politicize this tragedy. They were protecting DC and trying to make the nation’s capital safer. People like you who engage in ghoulish behavior lose all credibility. Not like you had any to begin with.”

Jane, respectfully, shut the fuck up for trying to politicize this tragedy.

They were protecting DC and trying to make the nation’s capital safer.

People like you who engage in ghoulish behavior lose all credibility. Not like you had any to begin with. https://t.co/DzVX7Adg96

— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) November 27, 2025

The shooting took place after a year marked by national security concerns stemming from individuals who arrived in the United States during and after the Biden-Harris administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal.

According to information released about Lakanwal, he overstayed his temporary status and remained inside the country unlawfully until the day of the attack.

Authorities have not released additional details about his movements within the United States before the shooting, but the confirmation of his unlawful presence became a focal point in statements following the incident.

The deaths and injuries of the West Virginia National Guard members led to renewed scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding Lakanwal’s arrival in September 2021.

At the time, thousands of Afghan nationals were brought into the United States under emergency conditions. Lakanwal’s connection to a CIA partner force in Kandahar was also confirmed as part of the information released about his background.

Beckstrom’s death and Wolfe’s critical injuries prompted an outpouring of support for the families of both service members.

Their deployment to the nation’s capital was part of broader security efforts ordered under President Trump.

The circumstances of the attack brought renewed attention to those security measures and the responsibilities assigned to National Guard personnel stationed in Washington.

Cheung’s response to Mayer highlighted the broader disagreement over how the events should be interpreted.

While Mayer focused on the decision to deploy the Guard, Cheung rejected the idea that the deployment itself had any connection to the attack, pointing instead to the actions of the attacker and the conditions allowing him to remain in the United States.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Objectivist. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.