In a bold response to a shooting near the White House, Donald Trump has taken decisive action.
Yesterday, on November 26, two US National Guard members stationed in Washington DC were shot in what Mayor Muriel Bowser described as a ‘targeted shooting.’
The guardsmen, affiliated with the West Virginia National Guard, were promptly taken to the hospital and are reported to be in critical condition.
Following the incident, Trump expressed his reaction on Truth Social, stating: “The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price. God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement.
“These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”
In response, the Trump administration swiftly deployed an additional 500 National Guard members to Washington. Defence secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that Trump directed the deployment.
The alleged shooter has been identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who has reportedly been in the US since 2021.
During the incident, Lakanwal was also shot. NBC News reports that the event is being investigated as a potential act of terrorism. He was reportedly fired at four times and is currently undergoing hospital treatment.
Considering the shooter’s Afghan origin, US Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a suspension of requests from Afghan nationals.
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The USCIS stated on Twitter: “Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” emphasizing that “The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission.”
This decision follows the President’s remark that lax migration policies pose ‘the single greatest national security threat facing our nation’ in light of the attack.
“No country can tolerate such a risk to our very survival,” he remarked, according to NBC Washington.
Trump also referred to Afghanistan as ‘a hellhole on earth’ and mentioned that his administration would reassess all entries from the country under President Joe Biden, a step they had planned prior to the incident.