The suspect in the shooting is believed to be an Afghan national, according to Donald Trump and two law enforcement officials
In the aftermath of the shooting of two National Guardsmen near the White House, the president has issued a dire warning.
President Trump called the attack a “heinous act of terror” and said America’s very survival is at stake.
In a dramatic late-night video statement – delivered on the eve of Thanksgiving from his Mar-a-Lago resort – Trump ordered his administration to take “all necessary measures” to remove people “who do not belong here….if they don’t love our country, we don’t want ’em.”
The gunman who ambushed the two soldiers is an Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal. He entered the US four years ago under a Biden-era scheme to relocate some of those who might be in danger after the Taliban returned to power.
Some reports suggest that Lakanwal was only granted asylum earlier this year once Trump was in the White House.
The politics of this are dark and polarising. Trump is blaming Biden – and by extension Democrats – for endangering America.
Some Democrats are certain to accuse the president of weaponising the attack to target entire immigrant communities.
Trump didn’t just point the finger at Afghans. He turned his anger on the Somali community in Minneapolis, which he claims is tearing the state apart and ripping off America.
He said Biden let in 20 million “unknown and unvetted” foreigners.
In the meantime, the president has ordered another 500 National Guard troops to join the existing military patrols of Washington DC. That takes the number of soldiers on the streets of the capital to 2,700.
Deploying US troops into cities is among the most controversial measures of Trump’s second term.
There have been National Guard deployments in Washington, Los Angeles, Portland, Memphis and Chicago. In several cases, there have been successful court challenges to the legality of the decision.
Wednesday’s ambush of the two National Guardsmen has now added fuel to the political firestorm.
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