US President Donald Trump has described an armed attack on two National Guardsmen in the capital Washington as an “act of terror” and announced drastic political consequences. Because, according to the authorities, the suspected perpetrator is an Afghan, the Republican announced checks on all foreigners from Afghanistan who came to the USA under his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden. Processing of immigration applications from Afghan citizens has been suspended. Trump also ordered the deployment of around 500 more National Guard soldiers to the capital.
Just a few hours earlier, on Wednesday afternoon (local time), a gunman opened fire on two National Guardsmen in Washington near the White House in front of a subway stop, critically injuring them, according to authorities. On Thursday morning, US Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that both had undergone surgery that night.
There was initially no precise information about the identity of the victims. According to media reports, it was a male and female soldier. Bondi said in her interview that one case involved a young woman who volunteered to serve around the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. The capital’s Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, spoke of a targeted attack. There were initially no details about the motive.
Authorities: Gunman fired at National Guardsmen
The incident shocked the United States on the eve of the important holiday of Thanksgiving. A Washington police representative said the gunman came around a corner near the Farragut West subway stop and immediately fired at the two National Guardsmen. Other members of the National Guard heard the shots, intervened and overpowered the suspect after he fell to the ground. The police arrived a few moments later.
According to US media reports, the suspected perpetrator is a 29-year-old Afghan who entered the USA in 2021 but was only granted asylum in 2025 after Trump took office. CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News Digital that the man worked in Kandahar for US military partner organizations there and also worked for the US government and the CIA.
Trump on Afghanistan: “Hellhole on Earth”
The US president called the shooter an “animal” and said he must “pay the highest possible price.” He also described the act as a “crime against humanity.” In his address, Trump called Afghanistan a “hellhole on earth” and claimed that millions of people had come to the US from all over the world under Biden without the necessary checks.
Even during the sometimes chaotic evacuation of Afghans from Kabul by the US military in 2021, Afghans were not flown directly to the US. Among other things, they were taken to a US base in Qatar, where initial security checks were already carried out.
After Trump’s speech on Platform
Trump also promised in his speech to “take all necessary measures to ensure that all aliens from all countries who do not belong here or do not benefit our country are deported.”
Blame and political debate
In the charged political climate in the United States, a debate immediately erupted about who bore political responsibility for the incident. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also indirectly blamed Biden’s government. The Afghan came into the country without the necessary checks, she claimed. The first Republican MPs called for drastic measures against foreigners in the country. Leading Democrats called for peaceful coexistence. Democratic Senator Jack Reed, for example, declared that “calm, compassion and unity” is now needed.
The US organization AfghanEvac, which advocates for Afghans, warned against exploiting the attack for political purposes. The isolated act of one individual should not be used as an excuse to discredit an entire community, it said in a statement.
At first there was confusion about the condition of the victims. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said the two had died. A little later he wrote on Platform X that there were conflicting reports about her condition.
2,000 soldiers patrol Washington
The National Guard is a military reserve unit and part of the US Armed Forces. It is usually under the control of the federal states and is used in the event of natural disasters, riots or other emergencies. In certain situations, however, the US President can also take command. Special rules apply to the capital Washington, which is not legally a separate state.
More than 2,000 National Guardsmen have been in the city since the summer. Trump ordered them there in August and justified the operation with alleged rampant crime. This depiction is highly controversial – statistics do not support it.
The city took legal action against the operation. A federal judge recently declared the mobilization of the National Guard inadmissible and ordered it to end. However, she suspended her decision for three weeks to allow the Trump administration to appeal. Also on Wednesday, the government filed an urgent application to suspend the judge’s decision.
Tense mood in Washington
The mood in the capital has been tense since the summer. In addition to the National Guard, other federal authorities were also deployed. For example, officers from the migration agency ICE, some of whom were masked, arrested migrants during raids on residential areas; Videos of such operations spread online, which many viewed as arbitrary. There was protest.
However, unlike ICE, the National Guard primarily patrolled tourist locations and provided auxiliary services such as garbage disposal. Just a few weeks ago, the radio station NPR reported on conversations with National Guardsmen who spoke anonymously about their doubts about the operations in Washington and other cities. “I participated in two humanitarian missions with the National Guard that were great,” one of them said. “And then I’m supposed to pick up trash in Washington and confront homeless people at gunpoint? No, man.”
