Trump vows to 'permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries' after Guardsman killed

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited the D.C. Armory Friday afternoon and led prayer in honor of the two National Guardsmen who were attacked near the White House on Wednesday.

Hegseth called slain National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom a "beautiful human being" while commending her service and sacrifice to the audience of gathered service members.

The secretary also mentioned he and his wife, Jennifer, visited Air National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe's bedside and “laid hands on him” in prayer. He told troops he had promised Wolfe’s mother that the entire department would continue praying.

He then asked the room to bow their heads: “Dear Heavenly Father… we ask that you be with the family of Andrew Wolfe, who right now lays in a hospital bed fighting for his life. Be with his doctors and nurses. Perform miracles we know you can do. Watch over all of these troops… Protect them and give them courage.”

Hegseth pointed to the ongoing work the National Guard has done in Washington, D.C. since beginning their deployment under "Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful" executive order signed by President Donald Trump.

"We pay attention at the top of the Department of War to the White House of what you are delivering, and you have delivered historic safety, security, and beauty to this capital," Hegseth told the Guardsmen assembled. "And not just for the residents that live here that deserve a better life, that deserve to live safe, but also for all the Americans who visit this great capital."

He closed by reminding service members of President Trump’s message: “Wherever you go, tell the troops: we have your back.”

The community of Summersville, West Virginia is hosting a candlelight vigil in honor of Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, one of the National Guard members shot near the White House who died from her injuries.

Mayor Robert Shafer announced the news on Facebook Friday, calling her loss “heartbreaking” and honoring Beckstrom’s service both in uniform and at home.

Beckstrom served with the 863rd Military Police Company, 111th Engineer Brigade, and was also a community engagement specialist with Seneca Health Services.

“Her dedication, both to our nation and to the people of our community will never be forgotten,” Shafer wrote, extending condolences on behalf of the entire city.

A candlelight vigil will be held Friday at 5:00 pm at the Summersville City Pavilion.

Local resident Caroline Jean Snyder also shared details online, noting that members of the Nicholas County Honor Guard will perform a tribute and that Summersville’s tight-knit military and veteran community is rallying around Beckstrom’s family, who are from nearby Webster Springs.

“If you’re anywhere nearby and can make it, please consider stopping by,” Snyder wrote. “These small-town vigils mean the world to grieving families.”

Vice President JD Vance has long cautioned about the U.S. refugee vetting process. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)

Vice President JD Vance has long cautioned about the U.S. refugee vetting process — dating back to the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 2021 and the refugees who came afterward.

Now, Vance’s previous remarks on the matter are resurfacing after two National Guard troops were shot in Washington Wednesday.

Law enforcement officials identified the shooting suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, who entered the U.S. legally in 2021 under the Biden administration's Operation Allies Welcome program, which sought to help resettle Afghan refugees in the U.S.

In 2021, Vance posted a video to social media in response to then-Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., who argued that the U.S. had an obligation to assist refugees seeking to depart Afghanistan.

"Yes, let’s help the Afghans that helped us, but let’s ensure that we’re properly vetting them, so that we don’t get a bunch of people who believe they should blow themselves up at a mall because somebody looked at their wife the wrong way," Vance, a Marine Corps veteran, said in the video clip.

Vance also claimed that a Pew Research Center survey found that four in 10 Afghans believe suicide bombing is justified to protect Islam. Fox News Digital could not independently confirm the existence of the poll.

However, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, an American state-funded media organization, reported on the poll in 2013 with the same statistics.

Vance’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Afghanistan's top religious leaders that make up the Afghan Ulema Council have previously issued Islamic rulings to ban suicide attacks, and have claimed such attacks aren't in alignment with Islamic teachings.

More recently, Vance voiced similar concerns in an interview with CBS’s Margaret Brennan in January, where he said that "we have vetting problems with a lot of these refugee programs, we absolutely cannot unleash thousands of unvetted people into our country."

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy.

The Thanksgiving Eve shooting that has left one West Virginia National Guard member dead and another clinging to his life enraged top officials in Charleston, West Virginia — as one placed blame squarely on the disastrous 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and said his state is "one big small town" that is mourning together.

The suspect, Rahmahullah Lakanwal, reportedly worked with a CIA-operated unit that fought the Taliban on America’s behalf, Fox News Digital confirmed, which helped evacuate people during the fall of Kabul under then-President Joe Biden.

West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Josh Holstein told Fox News Digital Friday the news angered him, and that anger turned to devastation when Sarah Beckstrom of Summersville, West Virginia, succumbed to her wounds, and as Andrew Wolfe of Inwood, West Virginia, remains in critical condition.

"It’s just been a horrible tragedy here in West Virginia," said Holstein, who is also a state delegate from Boone County, West Virginia. "This doesn't happen for West Virginians very often, and it's just such a deep tragedy." 

"One of the things that I've … said from the beginning is West Virginia is just one big small town," he said. "And folks come together in tragedy, in triumph, in everything. We come together and we celebrate, we mourn, always together." Holstein said that in times like this political parties don’t matter, and that Mountaineers came again together after the shooting.

West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin to Republican Sens. Jim Justice and Shelley Moore Capito all offered similar heartfelt reactions.

"West Virginians of all political sides of the aisle came together and just mourn(ed) and share a sense of deep grief, but not only grief, but gratitude for these folks, especially these these two young folks," he said. "And then yesterday, of course, with it being Thanksgiving, it was a somber reminder that not all of us all of us get together with our families on Thanksgiving."

"These two were at the time, both fighting for their life, and now one has since passed away," he said. "I, I just feel that West Virginians in particular have such a unique drive for service. You can see it in our numbers per capita on how many veterans we have compared to other states in the country. We're always willing and always able to serve each other and . . . it's a really a perfect description of who West Virginians are."

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital's Charles Creitz.

Gold Star father Darin Hoover, whose son SSgt. Taylor Hoover, USMC, was among the 13 service members killed in the Abbey Gate bombing during the Afghanistan withdrawal, is speaking out following the shooting of two West Virginia National Guardsmen near the White House.

In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, Hoover placed direct blame on the Biden administration, saying the attack points to longstanding failures tied to the 2021 withdrawal.

Hoover said: “This is on the feckless Biden administration. We had no idea who was getting into this country because the Biden administration, especially the State Department run by Antony Blinken, didn’t do the work that was needed to vet all these people. There were so many people put on the planes that got out initially, that we have no idea who they were.”

The suspect in custody for Wendesday's ambush attack is Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who entered the United States in the wake of the 2021 withdrawal.

He warned that rushed evacuation decisions have long-term consequences: “All we got is men of fighting age that are most likely terrorists… here in the homeland to do us all harm and take our beloved United States of America.”

Hoover added that an earlier, more deliberate withdrawal process could have prevented tragedy—not only in Afghanistan, but potentially at home: “Maybe if the Biden administration started the process earlier than the truncated timetable that they did, this could have all come out so much better, including all of our most precious men and women of our military coming home.”

The investigation into Wednesday’s shooting remains ongoing.

People walk past a small memorial in a planter, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, near the site where two National Guard members were shot in Washington. (Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) of Washington, D.C. has agreed to work in "close coordination" with National Guardsmen in the nation's capitol after Wednesday's ambush attack that critically injured one and killed another West Virginia Guardsman.

"Law enforcement agencies across Washington, DC, including the Metropolitan Police Department, are working in close coordination with the National Guard to ensure the safety of our community," an MPD spokesperson told Fox News. "As we enter the holiday season, we encourage everyone to remain vigilant."

According to reporting from the Washington Post, MPD officers will begin patrolling with National Guardsmen on Thursday and Friday. The Post's reporting, based on an internal email they obtained, also claimed that the situation remains "fluid."

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said that the Afghan refugee accused of shooting two National Guard members on Wednesday should be executed.

“This terrorist murdered her in cold blood, assassinated a soldier,” Mace told "The Faulkner Focus" on Friday.

“And I hope that we will, as a country, put this guy down, this terrorist down… as quick as humanly possible because he doesn’t deserve to live.”

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan refugee, allegedly shot the two Guard members in an ambush-style attack and is set to face murder charges after U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries on Thursday. Andrew Wolfe, a U.S. Air Force staff sergeant, remains in critical condition.

Mace blasted the Biden administration’s vetting of Afghan evacuees in the wake of the shooting but said the Trump administration is moving quickly to rectify any mistakes.

“President Biden created this mess, and President Trump is the one, the only one coming and cleaning it up,” she said. “And I do believe the president will devote every resource necessary, through his administration, to do the heavy vetting that was necessary, should have been done years ago, but that was not. And I hope that we’ll see more deportations as a result of it, particularly from these third world countries where these people shouldn’t be here.”

She added that Democrat rhetoric is fueling violence across the nation.

“Democrats are actually driving the narrative that is inspiring people like this monster who shot these two National Guard members,” Mace said.

Footage from a camera in Jamal Wali's vehicle shows chaotic moments before traffic stop turned deadly. (Fairfax County Police Department/YouTube)

Wednesday’s shooting of two National Guard members was rare, but not the first time an Afghan immigrant has opened fire on American authorities.

In April, Afghan refugee Jamal Wali, 36, opened fire on police during a traffic stop in Virginia, wounding two officers before he was shot and killed.

In police bodycam footage, Wali could be seen launching into profanity-laced complaints about how he had been treated in the country and grew progressively more upset with officers. He had come to the U.S. in 2014 after serving as a translator for American forces in Afghanistan, per reports.

Wali informed the officer that he was armed and asked why he was being pulled over before the situation took a chaotic turn.

A clearly distressed Wali began shouting, cursing, refusing to give his name and saying he had no driver’s license or registration for the vehicle.

“I should have served with f---ing Taliban,” Wali yelled at the officer.

Two other Fairfax County Police Department officers arrived to assist the officer who initiated the traffic stop, with one standing on the driver’s side and the other on the passenger’s side.

Wali eventually reached for his weapon and fired at the two officers on the driver’s side.

According to FCPD Chief Kevin Davis, one bullet went through the arms of both officers before striking a parked car and shattering its rear window.

Wali was shot and taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

Members of the National Guard gather near the scene on Nov. 26, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

A former FBI supervisory special agent said it is “extremely rare” for Afghans who worked with U.S. military or intelligence to turn against the United States.

Jason Pack, who is now retired, told Fox News Digital that most Afghans were loyal partners who risked their lives to help the U.S. mission in Afghanistan — and that almost none have turned violent after settling in America.

The shooting of two National Guard members on Wednesday has raised questions about vetting, as well as the potential motive behind the attack.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan refugee, allegedly shot the two Guardsmen on Wednesday in an ambush-style attack.

Pack, who worked in counterterrorism and intelligence investigations, said that when someone who once helped the United States later commits an attack, it is almost never because they planned it from the beginning.

“Instead, it usually means their life changed in significant and painful ways after arriving here,” Pack said, noting that the FBI looks closely at several factors that can push a person in this direction.

Pack said that things like financial stress, trauma from the war, loneliness, difficulty adjusting to life in America, or frustration with slow immigration processes could be potential triggers.

Many evacuees also struggle with guilt about family members still in Afghanistan and that emotional weight can grow over time, he said.

Another major factor the FBI investigates is online influence, with extremist groups such as ISIS-K and the Taliban aggressively targeting Afghan evacuees with propaganda designed to make them feel betrayed or abandoned by the United States.

“A person who is already struggling emotionally can be especially vulnerable to that messaging,” Pack said.

“Agents also consider the possibility that the individual may have faced threats involving family back home, which is a common tactic used to intimidate or coerce former U.S. partners. Trauma and mental-health strain can also play a major role, especially for someone who lived through years of conflict and upheaval.”

He said the FBI is now digging into every part of Lakanwal’s life to understand what drove his actions.

“Investigators will go through his phone, social-media accounts, and online activity to see whether he was influenced by extremist material or communicating with anyone who encouraged violence.

They will examine his finances to identify unusual payments or overseas connections, and they will interview friends, coworkers and anyone who interacted with him recently to see whether there were changes in behavior or signs of anger or distress, Pack said.

"They will also look for evidence of personal crises, mental-health challenges, or threats to his family," Pack said.

“The goal is to piece together a full picture of what led to the attack. Taken together, these factors point to a person who was acting with purpose, not impulse.”

U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe. (Photos provided by the Department of Justice)

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey has called on all state residents to observe a moment of silence or prayer on Friday to honor the National Guard members who were shot in an ambush-style attack in Washington, D.C.

Morrisey issued a formal proclamation for the observance to take place at 2:15 p.m. local time. On Thursday night, he ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in recognition of the passing of U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom. Andrew Wolfe, a U.S. Air Force staff sergeant, remains in critical condition.

“These two West Virginia heroes were serving our country and protecting our nation’s capital when they were maliciously attacked,” Morrisey said in a statement.

“Their courage and commitment to duty represent the very best of our state. I am asking every West Virginian to pause at 2:15 p.m. on Friday to pray for their families and their fellow service members.”

Morrisey said the people of West Virginia stand united in condemning “this cowardly and evil act.”

He said the two Guards had stepped forward and volunteered for the mission, placing themselves in harm’s way to protect the state and nation.

“Their bravery and selflessness reflect the courage, sacrifice and quiet strength that have defined both West Virginians and those who serve for generations.”

D.C. Fire and EMS personnel lined the street and saluted fallen National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom as her body was brought out of the hospital for a dignified transfer.

A fire truck led a motorcade carrying her body, and first responders stood in silence to honor Beckstrom, who died from her gunshot wounds.

Beckstrom and fellow Guard member Andrew Wolfe were shot in an ambush attack on Wednesday, in an incident that has shocked the nation.

Wolfe remains in critical condition, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Friday.

President Donald Trump called her a “highly respected, young, magnificent person.”

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., slammed the Biden administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and the vetting of evacuees in the wake of two National Guard members being shot in the nation’s capital on Wednesday. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., slammed the Biden administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and the vetting of evacuees in the wake of two National Guard members being shot in the nation’s capital on Wednesday.

Capito, who represents the same state as the two Guards, said the botched 2021 evacuation created long-term security risks because the U.S. failed to properly screen thousands of arrivals from a country where vetting is inherently difficult.

“We didn’t know who they were. It was happening so fast. It was so chaotic,” Capito told "Fox & Friends."

“And this is the aftermath of what you see, of poor policies… of the inability to vet people. Understanding that a country like Afghanistan, it would be difficult to vet these people anyway because of the systems there."

"But we should have known who they are, and we should protect ourselves and others from this terrorist mental quality that has been brought into our country by so many.”

Capito rejected Democratic criticism of National Guard deployments in U.S. cities, calling it “hyperbolic rhetoric,” and insisted Guard troops in Washington, D.C., have reduced crime and provided a reassuring presence.

“There was no pulling out of weapons and weaponizing our National Guard. What they were doing was freeing up the Metropolitan Police… to deal with the more criminal crime elements in the city.”

She said Guard members had volunteered for service to serve the country.

“Their presence was there to indicate to citizens, to visitors, to dignitaries… that peace is there and you’re going to feel safe.”

Capito went on to praise West Virginians for supporting the families of the two Guards, noting that both victims came from small communities that rally together in times of tragedy.

“When this hits one West Virginian, it hits all," she said.

National Guard member Andrew Wolfe, right, remains in critical condition after being shot in an ambush-style attack in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. (Win McNamee/Getty Images; Department of Justice.)

National Guard member Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition after being shot in an ambush-style attack in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Friday.

Wolfe, 24, and fellow Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, were allegedly shot by Afghan refugee Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who will now face murder charges after Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, Pirro told "Fox & Friends."

“We still have hope. He's still in critical condition,” Pirro said of Wolfe, a U.S. Air Force staff sergeant.

“We are doing everything we can to assist his family and to make sure that they have everything they need during this difficult time for them,” Pirro said.

“We are all praying for Andrew Wolfe.”

She added, “Again, a 24-year-old taken by total surprise by an individual who made the decision to take a life on Thanksgiving Eve."

"He did not have that right. And the United States government will prove that.”

The Afghan refugee accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., will be charged with murder, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Friday.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, allegedly shot the two Guardsmen on Wednesday in an ambush-style attack.

U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died Thursday, while U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition.

“She volunteered and she ended up being shot, ambush style, on the cold streets of Washington, D.C., by an individual who will now be charged with murder in the first degree,” Pirro told "Fox & Friends."

“There are certainly many more charges to come, but we are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree.”

Pirro said what happened on Wednesday was “unmistakable.”

“It is a premeditated murder. There was an ambush with a gun toward people who didn't know what was coming," Pirro said. "And that is the homicide, and that is the murder that we're looking at right now."

“You can go into all the other stuff. But as a prosecutor, my job is to prove what happened at that scene. And make no mistake, we will do that.”

The man accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday had long struggled with the psychological toll of his work in a CIA-backed Afghan paramilitary force, a close friend said. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times; Provided by Department of Justice)

The man accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday had long struggled with the psychological toll of his work in a CIA-backed Afghan paramilitary force, a close friend said.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan refugee, fought in the final years of the U.S. war as part of a “Zero Unit,” according to reporting from the New York Times and Afghan Evac, a nonprofit that assists Afghans with Special Immigrant Visas.

Lakanwal’s childhood friend told the New York Times the suspect suffered from mental health problems and was haunted by the casualties his unit caused.

“When he saw blood, bodies and the wounded, he could not tolerate it,” said the friend, who asked to be identified only as Muhammad.

“It put a lot of pressure on his mind.”

The Zero Units, formerly known as Counterterrorism Pursuit Teams, were trained for night raids and covert missions across Afghanistan during the U.S. war. They developed a reputation for brutality and were labeled “death squads” by human rights groups.

“He would tell me and our friends that their military operations were very tough, their job was very difficult, and they were under a lot of pressure,” the friend said.

Members of the Zero Units were among the thousands of Afghans relocated to the United States under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal in August 2021.

President Donald Trump participates in a call with U.S. service members from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Thanksgiving Day on November 27, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Pete Marovich/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump announced his administration will permanently pause migration from "all Third World Countries" and remove anyone who is "not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country."

The president's Thanksgiving post comes after two National Guard members were shot in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the U.S. legally, is accused of carrying out the shooting.

"A very Happy Thanksgiving salutation to all of our Great American Citizens and Patriots who have been so nice in allowing our Country to be divided, disrupted, carved up, murdered, beaten, mugged, and laughed at, along with certain other foolish countries throughout the World, for being 'Politically Correct,' and just plain STUPID, when it comes to Immigration," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump went on to say that he will impose several new restrictions to immigration, including permanently pausing migration from "all Third World Countries," terminating millions of "illegal" admissions allowed under the Biden administration and removing anyone "who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country."

"Even as we have progressed technologically, Immigration Policy has eroded those gains and living conditions for many," Trump wrote. "I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country, end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization."

"These goals will be pursued with the aim of achieving a major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations, including those admitted through an unauthorized and illegal Autopen approval process," he added. "Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation. Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won’t be here for long!"

By Landon Mion