THE NEW YORK TIMES: The president described the shooting as an “act of terror” and “a crime against humanity” and called the suspect, an Afghan national, an “animal.”
President Trump on Wednesday called for a crackdown on immigration and ordered 500 more troops to Washington after the shooting of two National Guard members patrolling the capital and the identification of an Afghan national as the suspect.
Mr. Trump posted a video shortly after 9 p.m. from Palm Beach, Fla., where he is spending Thanksgiving, describing the shooting as an “act of terror” and “a crime against humanity.” He called the suspect, whom people familiar with the investigation identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an “animal” who shot the guard members “at point-blank range in a monstrous, ambush-style attack just steps away from the White House.”
Although many details about the shooting were still unknown by nightfall on Wednesday, Mr. Trump did not hold back. He used the attack to launch a broadside against immigration, saying the shooting “underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation” and vowing to redouble his mass deportation efforts.
He said the suspect had entered the country in 2021 as part of a program under President Joseph R. Biden Jr. that provided entry to Afghan nationals fleeing the Taliban takeover of their country after the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops.
“We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country under Biden,” he said. » | Shawn McCreesh | Shawn McCreesh covers the White House. He reported from Palm Beach, Fla., where President Trump is spending Thanksgiving. | Published: Wednesday, November 26, 2025. Updated: Thursday, November 27, 2025
