Mene Ukueberuwa slams Dems’ past comments on National Guard deployment

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Political commentator Mene Ukueberuwa appeared on Fox & Friends on Friday, November 28, 2025, to discuss past comments from several Democratic leaders criticizing the presence of the National Guard members in Washington, DC.

Ukueberuwa defended Donald Trump’s decision to deploy additional troops in the district, saying the move was intended to keep the public safe. According to him, Democrats had been “creating a narrative” that made the public believe National Guard members posed a threat, rather than a source of protection.

Mene Ukueberuwa reacts to claims Trump endangered National Guard members

During the segment, Ukueberuwa and host Carley Shimkus examined a recent piece from The Atlantic that questioned the effectiveness and safety of the deployment. Shimkus read excerpts from the report, which argued that the troops were “untrained in law enforcement” and pointed to a memo included in litigation that challenged the “high-visibility mission” in Washington. The memo suggested that the military presence could put Guard members in danger.

“There are costs of performatively deploying members of the military — one of which is the risk of endangering them,” Shimkus read.

Ukueberuwa pushed back on the premise, saying the argument did not make sense. He insisted that “every single public servant” is always a “potential target,” regardless of the moment or mission. Suggesting that Trump had put troops at risk, he said, “shifts the blame entirely from the attacker.”

“The only person who is to be blamed for that crime is the person who goes out of their way to attack them,” he said.

Shimkus then pointed to newly released statistics showing Washington's crime rate had fallen since the deployment began. Ukueberuwa agreed with the trend but noted that crime had already been declining before the additional troops arrived. He said multiple categories of crime had been moving downward due to the work of law enforcement agencies already in place.

“The presence of the National Guard is being increased by President Trump in the wake of this attack, and hopefully, we will see crime decreased further,” he said.

Mene Ukueberuwa hopes Trump’s immigration pause remains temporary

The discussion later shifted to Trump’s announcement of a pause on immigration from “third-world countries.” Ukueberuwa called the move a “national gut reaction.”

He pointed out that the suspected shooter in the National Guard attack was an Afghan native who had previously worked with the CIA. Ukueberuwa said the real solution was stronger vetting, not broad bans, and added that ensuring individuals entering the United States were properly screened would be a more effective long-term strategy. He said he hoped the pause would remain temporary.