House Dem Calls Murder of National Guardsman in DC an ‘Unfortunate Accident’
“You think that was an unfortunate accident? It was a terrorist attack. He shot our National Guardsman in the head.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent testified before the House Homeland Security Committee on Thursday.
Unbelievably, during his exchange with Noem and Kent, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) referred to the shooting of two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., on Thanksgiving Eve as an “unfortunate accident.”
It was no accident. The shooter had traveled from Washington State with his gun, determined to conduct the attack. The two young soldiers were ambushed as they patrolled a subway station three blocks from the White House on Nov. 26.
The attack — carried out by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was admitted into the country during the chaotic, humiliating, and dangerous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 — left one Guardsman, Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, dead, and the other, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, fighting for his life in an area hospital room.
Thompson, the ranking member on the committee, said, “Madam Secretary, you and the gentleman from NCTC referenced the unfortunate accident that occurred with the National Guardsmen being killed.”
Astonished by Thompson’s minimization of the shooting, Noem responded, “You think that was an unfortunate accident? It was a terrorist attack. He shot our National Guardsman in the head.”
Thompson, frustrated, interrupted and appealed to the committee chair. “Look, Mr. Chairman, will you direct the witness to allow me to ask my question? It was an unfortunate situation, but you blamed it solely on Joe Biden. I want you to know who approved the asylum application for this same person?”
Noem began, “Mr. Thompson, this individual that came into the country—”
Thompson cut her off, and then pressed her on which administration had approved the most recent asylum application. Technically, he was correct: the approval occurred under the Trump administration, however it relied on the Biden administration’s vetting process and supposed annual follow-up.
“Congressman Thompson,” Noem said, “I want you to understand, when this individual came into the country, he came under the evacuation of Afghanistan under Operation Allies Welcome, was thoroughly vetted by the Biden administration at that point in time, allowed into our country, and then was never followed up. I want to remind everybody in Congress, we follow the law, and every asylum is supposed to have a check-in every single year, and the Biden administration failed to do that. They vetted this individual, allowed them into our country and did not do due diligence.”
As Noem was speaking, Thompson grew agitated, and tried to stop her several times by reclaiming his time.
The congressman, at his wit’s end, said, “Yes or no, who approved the asylum claim?”
Noem stood her ground. “The application on the asylum was thoroughly filled out by information that was gathered by the Biden administration.”
“So the Biden Administration approved the asylum?” he asked again.
“The asylum application was put into place under the rules established by the Biden administration.”
Next, he threatened Noem with perjury charges. “Reclaiming my time. I don’t want to charge perjury charges against you, but I’m of the opinion that the Trump administration, DHS, your DHS, approved the asylum application.”
But Noem gave him no satisfaction. “The asylum application moved forward under all of the information and vetting processes that were put in place under the Biden administration, which is when vetting happened, and that’s what President Trump has changed. Under President Trump’s administration—”
“Reclaiming my time again. It’s obvious you don’t want to answer the question. Mr. Kent, you want a shot at it?”
That was a big mistake and it wasn’t long before Thompson was reclaiming his time again.
Kent told Thompson, “The individual was vetted to serve as a soldier in Afghanistan, and that vetting standard was used by the Biden administration as a ruse to bring him here. Had we followed the standard operating procedures for Special Immigrant Visas, that individual and none of the Allies Welcome people would have come to America. That’s on Joe Biden.”
Thompson had tried mightily to pin the cold-blooded shooting of two National Guardsmen on the Trump administration, but Noem and Kent refused to let that narrative stand.
He failed—and in doing so, revealed to his constituents just how little he really cares about the lives of two of America’s finest.
🚨VILE: Dem Rep. Bennie Thompson just referred to the terrorist attack against two National Guardsmen in DC as an "unfortunate accident."
Noem: "You think that was an 'unfortunate accident'!? He shot our National Guardsmen in the head." pic.twitter.com/d8Bpt2xN4J
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) December 11, 2025
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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Comments
Thompson has been in the House for 32 years. What this tells me is that Dem voters in his district are nothing less than end-stage stupid.
Or they, like him, are the enemy.
Subotai Bahadur
Benny Thompson (D-Dirtbag) is a traitor to this country, along with the rest of the Kangaroo J-6 Committee, especially Cheney
Bennie Thompson is a four-star a**hole who would gladly sacrifice soldiers’ lives if it meant Democrats could hold on to power.
Most Democrat Congresscritters are scum, but Thompson is that special kind of scum, that iridescent scum that floats on top of oil spilled in a stagnant cesspool.
He should be ridden out of town on a rail. But he won’t be, because his district is 63% black and they’re D + 11.
If it was one of Bernie’ children, assuming he has any, that was shot in the head by a Biden afghan would he still consider it an unfortunate accident?
It’s even worse when people find out what Benny Thompson considered to be “unfortunate” about the “accident”.
Thompson should be sitting in the federal pen, right now, for the crimes he committed through the illegal Pelousi Jan 6 committee.
If either of the guardsmen had been black, he would not have said that.
Bennie Thompson is an accident.
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