Jen Psaki’s 2021 ‘thorough screening’ video resurfaces after DC National Guard shooting

WASHINGTON, DC: An old video from September 2021 showing former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki saying that all entrants to the US from Afghanistan were thoroughly screened has gone viral, just hours after the shooting in Washington, DC that injured two National Guardsmen.

The resurfaced clip is being shared online after police identified the suspect in the DC shooting as an Afghan national who entered the country in 2021 and reportedly overstayed his status.

Old Jen Psaki briefing on Afghan refugee vetting goes viral

Jen Psaki's original comments were part of a daily press briefing in September 2021, during which she directly addressed concerns about the vetting process that was allegedly being rushed during the massive US evacuation effort out of Kabul.

This came as the then–press secretary issued a firm commitment regarding the vetting process applied to the more than 120,000 people evacuated from Afghanistan in the weeks following the withdrawal of military personnel in 2021.

She further explained that nobody would gain entry into the US without a rigorous background check, stating, "I can absolutely assure you that no one is coming into the United States of America who has not been through a thorough screening and background check process."

Jen Psaki details use of ‘Lilypad countries’ for Afghan evacuee processing

The press secretary explained the protocol for those who had not completed the required security and background checks at the time.

She stated that individuals who had not yet passed the screening were sent to third countries, which she referred to as “Lilypad countries,” such as Qatar and Germany, while their paperwork was being processed.

She said, "There are many individuals, as you noted, who have not been through that process. And they have gone to lilypad countries as that process has been completed. It doesn't mean that that's because there is a flag. It means they have not completed their paperwork. And we were working to save tens of thousands of people. Hence we evacuated them to these third countries."

Jen Psaki vetting claims resurface after DC shooting

The 2021 comments made in the video went viral on Thursday, November 27, and began trending amid heightened scrutiny following the shooting incident in Washington, DC. 

The suspect was identified by law enforcement sources as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national accused of shooting two members of the National Guard.

Reports indicate that Lakanwal entered the US in 2021 on humanitarian parole during “Operation Allies Welcome” under the Biden administration and had since overstayed his permitted status, reportedly living in the country illegally.

The revelation that the suspect was among those admitted during the 2021 evacuation has sparked backlash, fueling renewed questions about the completeness of the initial vetting process that Psaki had assured was applied to every person entering the country.