During a Friday appearance on Fox & Friends, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard tore into Democrat Congressman Bennie Thompson for downplaying a recent terrorist attack on U.S. National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., as an “unfortunate accident.”
The incident, which left one Guardsman dead and another critically wounded, highlights the ongoing fallout from the Biden administration’s chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal and lax vetting of evacuees.
The attack unfolded on November 26, when 29-year-old Afghan evacuee Rahmanullah Lakanwal opened fire on West Virginia National Guard members near the White House.
Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. during the Kabul evacuation, shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he fired a revolver, killing 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and severely injuring SSgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.
The troops were deployed to combat rising crime in the nation’s capital.
Lakanwal now faces charges including first-degree murder while armed and is being held without bond.
During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Thursday, Thompson, the former chair of the committee, referred to the shooting as an “unfortunate accident” and an “unfortunate situation” while grilling Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Thompson blamed Noem for pinning the blame on Joe Biden, ignoring the broader context of inadequate vetting that allowed suspected terrorists into the country.
Secretary Noem pushed back immediately, stating, “Unfortunate accident? It was a terrorist attack. He shot our Guardsmen in the head.”
WATCH:
WTF?! Democrat Rep. Bennie Thompson just referred to the ATTACK on National Guardsmen in DC as an “UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT”
NOEM: “Unfortunate accident?!? It was a TERRORIST ATTACK! They shot our Guardsmen in the HEAD!”
Democrats are DESPICABLE people. pic.twitter.com/QuFsYSGIEU
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 11, 2025
Gabbard also didn’t hold back in her criticism.
“This is someone who is a very, very senior leader in Congress, who for a long time has led the Homeland Security Committee,” she said. “He cannot and refuses to directly identify this attack for what it was: A terrorist attack on our own soil, against our National Guard men and women in this case, who are putting their lives on the line.”
“This exchange really points to the egregious and longstanding problem, Brian, that we’ve seen, which is leaders — some on both sides of the aisle — who refuse to identify this Islamist terrorist threat for exactly what it is,” Gabbard said.
WATCH:
DNI Tulsi Gabbard TORCHES Rep. Bennie Thompson for labeling the shooting of two National Guard members in DC an “unfortunate accident.”
“It is absolutely infuriating. This is someone who is a very, very senior leader in Congress, who for a long time has led the Homeland… https://t.co/XOI7V9kqrk pic.twitter.com/z9WxLdWDLZ
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 12, 2025
Thompson later backtracked on CNN, saying he “misspoke” when pressed by anchor Kate Bolduan.
“Oh absolutely, absolutely,” he said, clarifying that the attack wasn’t an accident and shifting focus to the asylum process not being directly Biden’s fault.
Notably, Thompson received a pre-emptive pardon from Biden for his work on the January 6 committee.
The shooting has prompted swift action from the Trump administration, which paused Afghan visas and asylum applications for a full review of evacuees.
The post WATCH: DNI Tulsi Gabbard Shreds Democrat Rep. Bennie Thompson for Calling Deadly Terror Attack on National Guard an ‘Unfortunate Accident’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
