Democrat strategist says 500 more National Guard troops would be ‘targets’
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A Democratic strategist told CNN on Wednesday that adding 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. would create “more targets” for shootings.
CNN anchor Erica Hill asked Democratic strategist Donte Mills on “CNN NewsNight” about the legal fight to keep the National Guard in the nation’s capital following Wednesday’s shooting that seriously injured two guardsmen.
“The administration filed an emergency today saying we want to keep them in, and the president says I want 500 more troops. Given everything we’ve seen today, how much does this muddy the waters legally?” Hill asked.
VIRGINIA DEM SAYS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ‘TAKES ITS EYES DOWN’ ON PUBLIC SAFETY WHEN THERE ARE NATIONAL SECURITY STRIPS
National Guard members are seen following reports that two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (Evan Vucci/AP)
“I think the President, his administration will use this incident to further the case for having these Guardsmen on the street,” Mills said.
Two young National Guard members, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, were taken into custody Wednesday. Shot in Washington DC They were put into service less than 24 hours before the attack, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Thursday.
The suspect who was shot, 29-year-old Afghan citizen Rahmanullah Lakanwal, legally entered the United States under humanitarian parole in 2021 as part of the Biden administration’s Operation Welcome Allies, following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Following the shooting, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said President Donald Trump asked him to send 500 additional troops to Washington, D.C.
ALLEGED NATIONAL GUARD SHOOTER WAS WORKING WITH US GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN AFGHANISTAN, INCLUDING THE CIA: RATCLIFFE
Photo of National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom, who was injured in a shooting incident that occurred on the evening of November 26, 2025, in Washington, DC. (provided by the Ministry of Justice)
But Mills said the additional guards would be “more of a target” in shootings.
“The problem is, if you add 500 people, 500 soldiers to that equation, it wouldn’t stop what’s happening today,” Mills said. he said. “He walked towards the soldiers and opened fire. There would be more targets there. These people are there, their job is high visibility patrol.”
“So people know where they are. They’re in uniform, so they know what they look like. And if they want to get close to them or harm them, they’re in danger. So why add this and put more people in danger when it won’t change the outcome of this particular matter?”
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Undated file photo of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, DC, November 26, 2025. (provided by the Ministry of Justice)
Asked by Hill whether additional guardsmen would keep D.C. safer, Iraq War veteran Paul Rieckhoff said: “I don’t think so. I mean, potentially in those close quarters. But I think the bigger question is. Anytime the commander in chief puts men and women in harm’s way, he has to explain why it’s absolutely necessary. And the question has to be: is it absolutely necessary?”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department will do “everything in our power” to ensure Lakanwal receives the death penalty.
