White House Shooting: On the eve of Thanksgiving, President Donald Trump delivered a somber national address hours after a man shot two National Guardsmen near the White House, leaving both in critical condition. The shooting, described by Trump as a targeted attack on Americans in uniform, occurred Wednesday afternoon just blocks from the presidential residence.
Department of Homeland Security Identifies Suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, Afghan National
Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump referred to the suspected shooter as a “foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hell hole on earth.”
FBI believes it has identified the suspect. The initial identification matches a Washington state resident who reportedly immigrated from Afghanistan in 2021.
Later, the Department of Homeland Security formally identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
President Donald Trump Calls Shooting “Act of Terror”
Trump condemned the attack in stark terms, calling it a “heinous assault” and “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror.”
“It was a crime against our entire nation,” he said. “It was a crime against humanity.”
The president directed pointed criticism at former President Joe Biden, accusing him of failing to properly vet migrants who entered the United States during his administration. Biden oversaw the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
In the address, Trump labeled Biden “a disastrous president, the worst in the history of our country,” alleging that “20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners” entered the U.S. during Biden’s tenure, calling that influx “a risk to our very survival.”
Donald Trump on Re-Examining Afghan Immigration
Trump urged authorities to reassess immigration records tied to Afghanistan.
“We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country,” he said.
The president also broadened his criticism to other immigrant groups, singling out Somali communities in Minnesota. He accused Somali immigrants of “ripping off our country and ripping apart that once-great state,” and described Somalia as a nation with “no laws, no water, no military, no nothing.”
USCIS Pauses Afghan Immigration Processing
Following Trump’s speech, US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that processing of immigration cases involving Afghan nationals has been halted.
“All immigration cases related to Afghan immigrants is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” the agency posted on X.
“The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission,” USCIS said.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
