President Donald Trump sparked widespread criticism this week after his response to a question about attending the funeral of a slain National Guard member quickly pivoted to boasting about his electoral performance in her home state.
U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was fatally shot in an ambush-style attack near Farragut Square in Washington, DC, just blocks from the White House. The incident also left Andrew Wolfe, 24, critically wounded and fighting for his life. Both service members were from West Virginia and had been deployed to the nation’s capital as part of the president’s law enforcement crackdown in the city.
Wolfe remains in serious condition but has shown positive signs of improvement. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey reported on Monday, December 2, that when a nurse asked Wolfe to give a thumbs up if he could hear, “he did respond,” and “he also wiggled his toes.”
During his annual Thanksgiving call to U.S. service members on Thursday, Trump announced Beckstrom’s death, calling her a “highly respected, young, magnificent person.” He told troops she had just passed away and was no longer with them, adding that she was looking down from above. A White House official confirmed the president spoke with Beckstrom’s family following the incident.
When reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach asked whether he planned to attend Beckstrom’s funeral, Trump’s response drew immediate backlash. “I hadn’t thought about it yet, but it certainly is something I could conceive of,” he said. He then shifted focus to his political success in the fallen soldier’s home state, stating, “I love West Virginia. You know I won West Virginia by one of the biggest margins of any president anywhere.”
The president continued praising the state’s residents before circling back to the original question. He said he loved the people of West Virginia and the people of the country, repeating that he had not given it any thought, but it sounded like something he could do.
Critics on social media swiftly condemned the remarks as self-centered and inappropriate for the solemn circumstances. The comments highlighted what many observers described as the president’s tendency to center himself in moments that call for empathy and restraint. The response came at a particularly sensitive time as the families of both service members grapple with the aftermath of the violence.
The shooting occurred on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025, when the two National Guard members were ambushed in what authorities described as a targeted attack. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro characterized the incident as brazen and deliberate. Both guardsmen had been sworn in just 24 hours before the shooting, making the attack even more shocking to their units and communities.
Court documents filed on Tuesday, December 2, revealed that both Beckstrom and Wolfe suffered gunshot wounds to the head. A nearby Guard member heard gunshots and saw them fall to the ground while simultaneously seeing Lakanwal shooting a gun and screaming “Allahu Akbar!”
Specialist Beckstrom, from Summersville, West Virginia, began her service in June 2023 and was assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company of the West Virginia Army National Guard. Wolfe started his service in February 2019 and was assigned to the 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard.
The suspect in the shooting has been identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national living in Bellingham, Washington. Authorities say Lakanwal drove from Washington state to DC to carry out the attack. He was arrested and wounded during an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement and National Guard personnel at the scene.
According to officials, Lakanwal worked with the CIA in Afghanistan before coming to the United States in 2021 under a program implemented by the Biden administration following the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from the country. The revelation about his background has intensified political debate over immigration and vetting procedures for individuals who worked alongside American forces.
Lakanwal initially faced charges related to the shooting. However, Pirro announced on Friday morning that the charges would be upgraded to first degree murder following Beckstrom’s death. The case has become a focal point in discussions about immigration policy and national security.
The two National Guard members were among over 2,000 troops deployed to Washington, DC, as part of Trump’s initiative to address what he described as rampant crime in the nation’s capital. The deployment has faced criticism from some quarters as excessive and politically motivated, given the city’s Democratic voting history.
In response to the shooting, Trump used the incident to announce sweeping immigration changes. The president said he will pause migration from what he termed “third world countries,” though he did not specify which nations would be affected by such a policy. The announcement represented an escalation of his administration’s approach to immigration enforcement and border security.
On Tuesday, December 2, Rahmanullah Lakanwal appeared in D.C. Superior Court virtually from his hospital bed and pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Lakanwal could be seen squirming in a hospital bed with his eyes constantly closed in apparent pain. He communicated through an interpreter, translating between Pashto and English.
DC Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond ordered Lakanwal held without bond, citing the “sheer terror that resulted” from his actions and describing the government’s case as “exceedingly strong.”
His next court hearing is scheduled for January 14, 2026.
