Law enforcement personnel respond at the scene after two National Guard members were shot near the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S.; (R) President Donald Trump
Credit: Reuters Photos
Washington: President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for his government to re-examine Afghan immigrants who entered the United States during the former President Joe Biden's administration.
The President called the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington "an act of terror", saying the suspect came from Afghanistan in 2021.
"This heinous assault was an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror," Trump said in pre-taped remarks from Florida, where he is spending the Thanksgiving holiday.
"We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden."
Two members of the National Guard were shot on Wednesday in a busy area near the White House, officials said, putting the building into lockdown.
The shooting unfolded near Farragut Square, a popular lunch spot for office workers just a few blocks away from the White House. The park, where light posts are wrapped in wreaths and bows for the holiday season, is flanked by fast-casual restaurants and a coffee shop, as well as two metro stops.
In a social media post, Trump said the National Guardsmen were "critically wounded" and called the suspected shooter an "animal" who would "pay a very steep price".
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that President Trump has asked for 500 additional troops to be deployed to Washington, D.C., after two National Guard members were shot in the city.
"This happened just steps from the White House and it will not stand and that's why President Trump has asked me – and I will ask the secretary of the Army to the National Guard – to add 500 additional troops, National Guardsmen, to Washington, D.C.," Hegseth said.