Noem Blasts Democrat For Calling DC Terror Attack An Accident

In a stunning exchange on Capitol Hill, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem put Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson in his place after he dismissed a deadly terrorist attack on U.S. soil as an “unfortunate accident.”

During Thursday’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing on “worldwide threats,” Noem was interrupted by Thompson, who seemed more interested in whitewashing the facts than addressing a national security failure. Referring to the shooting of two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., by an Afghan national, Thompson minimized the tragedy, calling it an "unfortunate accident."

Noem didn’t let it slide.

“You think that was an unfortunate accident? It was a terrorist attack,” she fired back, refusing to allow the Democratic narrative to blur the brutal truth.

The shooter, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the United States in 2021 under President Joe Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome,” a program meant to resettle Afghan nationals after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Lakanwal allegedly shot two National Guardsmen in broad daylight while they were on patrol as part of a crime-reduction initiative originally launched under President Trump.

One of the victims, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, only 20 years old, died from a gunshot wound to the head the following day. Her colleague, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains hospitalized and is recovering.

According to court documents, the attacker shouted “Allahu akbar” as he opened fire a chilling reminder that terrorism is not an abstract threat, but a real and present danger inside our own borders.

Yet despite all of this, Thompson initially framed the incident as nothing more than a tragic misstep. Even after Noem's correction, he backtracked only slightly, calling it an "unfortunate situation." Tell that to Beckstrom’s grieving family.

Let’s be clear:

• An Afghan national, resettled by Biden’s open-door policy, murdered a U.S. soldier in cold blood.

• The attack occurred in our nation’s capital, not a battlefield overseas.

• The shooter yelled a known jihadist war cry, yet Democrats can’t call it what it is: terrorism.

This isn’t just about semantics. It’s about national security and the complete failure of the Biden administration to protect American citizens from imported threats. Since 2021, over 1.7 million “gotaways” have entered the U.S. via the southern border, and the vetting process for those resettled under "Operation Allies Welcome" has been riddled with holes. A 2023 DHS watchdog report revealed that at least 34 Afghan evacuees were flagged for potential ties to terrorism but were allowed into the country anyway.

Kristi Noem was absolutely right to speak up. The American people deserve leaders who prioritize their safety over political correctness and who have the courage to call a terrorist a terrorist.

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