Trump Wants Death Penalty For Afghan Accused In National Guard Killing

The tragic killing of a 20-year-old National Guard soldier in Washington, D.C. has taken a dramatic turn, with former President Donald Trump calling for the death penalty for the suspect a 29-year-old Afghan national who reportedly entered the U.S. under unclear circumstances. The Biden administration’s immigration policies are once again in the spotlight, as the suspect was living freely in the capital just months before committing this horrific act.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man charged in the Thanksgiving week shooting, now faces federal charges after allegedly murdering U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and critically injuring U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe. The soldiers were part of the West Virginia National Guard and were patrolling the streets of the capital our capital when they were ambushed.

The federal case was transferred from D.C. Superior Court to the U.S. District Court, a move that allows prosecutors to consider the death penalty. And they should.

According to the federal complaint:

• Lakanwal shot Beckstrom in the head, killing her.

• He also shot Wolfe in the head, leaving him in critical condition. Miraculously, Wolfe is expected to survive.

• The firearm used was a stolen .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.

• Lakanwal reportedly sent photos of an AR-15 and a pistol to a contact weeks earlier, requesting help to obtain weapons.

• Just before the shooting, he searched for “Washington, D.C.” and “The White House” on Google Maps.

And somehow this man was living freely in the nation’s capital despite the fact that he had no valid reason to be behind the wheel for Uber or Lyft, both of which had banned or suspended his accounts months earlier.

This horrifying crime isn't just about one individual’s actions. It’s about a failed system that let him roam our streets, armed and dangerous. A foreign national who possibly entered the country under Joe Biden’s broken immigration oversight was able to acquire an illegal firearm and carry out a calculated assault on our military.

It raises serious questions:

• How did he get here?

• Why wasn’t he being tracked?

• Why was a man with no job and a questionable background allowed to stay?

And more importantly where is the accountability from the Biden administration?

Let’s not forget, this is the same administration that has allowed over 8 million illegal crossings since 2021, and resettled tens of thousands of Afghan nationals after the disastrous withdrawal from Kabul. While many were vetted, there have been numerous reports of vetting failures including individuals flagged as national security risks slipping through.

President Trump, responding to the charges, made it clear that if he's re-elected, crimes like this will not be tolerated. He called for the ultimate punishment the death penalty. And he's right. We cannot allow foreign nationals to murder American servicemembers on our own soil and walk away with anything less than the most severe consequence the law allows.

As federal prosecutors now determine whether to pursue capital punishment, the American people are left asking why this ever happened in the first place. It’s another painful reminder that Democratic leadership has made this country less safe, especially for those who put on the uniform to protect it.

A young soldier is dead, her family devastated. Another hero fights to recover. All because of an administration that cares more about optics and open borders than national security.

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