White House Shooting: Was Biden’s 2021 Afghan Evacuation Responsible For National Guard Soldier’s Killing? | World News

Washington, DC: In one of the strongest public accusations connected to the White House shooting, the Department of Homeland Security directly blamed the former Joe Biden administration for decisions that led to the killing of National Guard member Specialist Sarah Beckstrom.

Kristi Noem, who currently serves as Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said that if the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had been stopped during the investigation phase, the attack would never have happened. The alleged attacker was charged with first-degree murder after Beckstrom died from his injuries.

“This individual’s application to be in this country began under the Joe Biden administration. The consequences of Sarah’s shooting and death fall squarely on the shoulders of Joe Biden and his administration,” Noem said.

His comments came as the second injured National Guard member, 24-year-old Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, continued to fight for his life.

Lakanwal, 29, came to the United States during “Operation Allied Welcome” following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Critics of the decision say the evacuation brought thousands of Afghans to the United States, many of whom were not fully documented, creating long-term security vulnerabilities.

Speaking about that period, Noem argued that the previous administration failed to complete the kind of in-depth background checks that the situation required. “If you remember, during that operation in which Afghanistan was abandoned, people were put on planes and brought to the USA. At that time, the administration said it would examine them, but did not conduct a comprehensive investigation,” he said.

He compared this approach to the current system under Donald Trump, saying the new rules include full biometric checks as well as review of social media history, communications and personal contacts, steps missing in 2021.

“They just checked names and a few data points, but President Trump implemented biometrics, checked social media platforms, contacts, and contacts. The Biden administration never did that. He brought them in and said we’d review them later. That’s how these things happen,” he added.

In a separate statement, DHS called the earlier admissions process “an act of national self-sabotage” and said the suspect should never have gone through the immigration process. The ministry has indefinitely suspended all immigration requests from Afghan citizens while security protocols are reviewed.

“The monster who carried out the attack in DC should never have been in this country. The Biden Administration allowed him and countless others to engage in a national act of self-sabotage,” the statement said.

Although Washington DC does not allow the death penalty, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that she would seek the death penalty for Lakanwal, citing national security concerns. His announcement dovetails with President Trump’s previous stance that his administration would seek the death penalty in every murder case that occurs in the capital.

The US president has previously said he plans to pause immigration from all “third world countries” to overhaul the US immigration system and stop what he describes as illegal entry through administrative loopholes.