In a pointed critique, a former Democratic National Committee chair has squarely blamed former President Donald Trump for the recent shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members, asserting that his decision to deploy troops in Washington, D.C., compromised their safety.
During an appearance on CNN, Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz raised a significant concern. “This incident prompts us to ask whether someone would have traveled across the nation with the intent to target law enforcement in Washington, D.C.,” she remarked.
She continued, “The likely answer is no. So, why didn’t the president initially consider the implications of deploying military troops in the nation’s capital or any city for that matter?”
Schultz emphasized the importance of coordination, saying, “Deploying troops without closely coordinating with city leadership, especially when local law enforcement can manage criminal justice matters, is questionable.”
Highlighting the legal framework, Schultz pointed out that the military should not function as law enforcement, referencing the Posse Comitatus Act which generally prohibits such actions. She cited a federal judge’s decision deeming Trump’s troop deployment to Los Angeles as a breach of the 1878 law.
Schultz concluded with a strong statement: “It’s never the president’s fault or responsibility when it comes to his responses, and that stance is quite troubling.”
The White House was quick to bite back. In a statement to the Daily Mail, spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said that liberals trying to blame Trump for what happened are misguided.
‘This animal would’ve never been here if not for Joe Biden’s dangerous policies which allowed countless unvetted criminals to invade our country and harm the American people.
‘The Trump Administration is taking every measure possible – in the face of unrelenting Democrat opposition – to get these monsters out of our country and clean up the mess made by the Biden Administration. Instead of defending terrorists, the Democrats should join us in protecting the American people.’
Florida Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former head of the DNC, said on CNN Friday that President Donald Trump’s policies are to blame for the shooting of National Guard troops on Wednesday
The White House fired back and argued that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, would not have been in the country if not for President Joe Biden
Lakanwal, entered the country during Biden’s chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. He came under a program that allowed in thousands of refugees fleeing the Taliban’s draconian rule
Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, opened fire on two National Guard members close to the White House on Wednesday, according to the Washington Metropolitan Police Department.
The attack, which is being investigated as an act of terrorism, killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and seriously wounded Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24.
Other liberal commentators agreed with Schultz that the ambush could have been avoided and argued that Trump put troops in danger.
John Pavlovitz, a liberal Christian author, wrote on X: ‘Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth are culpable for endangering the National Guard by putting them in harm’s way.’
Wajahat Ali, an opinion writer for The New York Times, offered similar commentary, saying that the National Guard never should have been deployed in Washington.
Liberal podcast host Jack Hopkins took it a step further and claimed that Trump’s rationale for putting soldiers on the street in the nation’s capital back in August – to curb crime – was nothing but a farce.
‘There was no “Emergency” situation with crime in DC. This stunt got a 20 year old young woman killed. It. Got. A. Woman. Killed,’ Hopkins wrote.
Frequent CNN contributor Dean Obeidallah pointed out that Lakanwal, was granted asylum this year under the Trump administration.
Frequent CNN contributor Dean Obeidallah pointed out that the suspect in the shooting, Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was granted asylum this year under the Trump administration
Wajahat Ali, an opinion writer for The New York Times, said that the National Guard never should have been deployed in Washington
Lakanwal, 29, first came to the United States in August 2021 under Operations Allies Welcome, an initiative that granted entry to Afghans seeking to avoid living in the country under Taliban control.
Following the chaotic American withdrawal from Afghanistan, nearly 200,000 Afghans have settled in the US thanks to this program, which was later renamed Enduring Welcome.
Trump accused the Biden administration of failing to vet Lakanwal, who previously worked with the CIA in Afghanistan, according to the agency’s director, John Ratcliffe.
The Washington Post reported that Lakanwal was a part of the CIA’s Zero Units, which were armed paramilitary groups took on deadly missions to kill members of the Taliban, al-Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist groups.
‘A CIA trained operative who Trump granted asylum to in April killed a National Guard member who Trump forced to be in Washington DC. Sounds like Trump is one the responsible for this from beginning to end,’ Obeidallah wrote on BlueSky.
The liberal critic whose statement got perhaps the most engagement was the one put out by New Yorker writer Jane Mayer.
She wrote: ‘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.’
The White House’s official X account replied to her comment and called Mayer a ‘sick, disgusting ghoul’.
‘Two of these heroes were just SHOT IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. The Guard has saved countless lives — backed up by evidence (which you’re clearly too stupid to notice). They are American Patriots,’ the White House added.
One of the National Guard members that was shot being tended to by paramedics
Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from injuries she sustained in the shooting
Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24, was in critical condition as of Friday
Criticism from the left on Trump’s willingness to send troops to blue cities has been going on for months.
In June, Trump sent 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard soldiers from California to Los Angeles to quell the No Kings protests.
In September, he also sent troops into Memphis, Tennessee, and Portland, Oregon. A number of other cities have been threatened with deployments of federal forces, including New York City, Baltimore, San Francisco and New Orleans.
After the shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that Trump requested 500 additional troops in Washington.
Hours before the shooting, the Trump administration filed an emergency application with a federal appeals court to overturn a previous ruling that his decision to deploy the National Guard in Washington was illegal.
