Trump says National Guard shooting suspect ‘went cuckoo’ and blasts reporter as ‘stupid person’

WASHINGTON, DC: Amid rising tensions after the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, which left one dead, President Donald Trump during a recent exchange with reporters described the suspect behind the attack as having “gone cuckoo” and called a reporter a “stupid person” for questions related to the incident.

Donald Trump says shooting suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal ‘went cuckoo’

After thanking half a dozen military units for their service during a Thanksgiving video call, Trump took questions from reporters and provided an update on the death of West Virginia National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, who had been in critical condition at the hospital after being shot twice by the suspect on Wednesday afternoon. 

“He went cuckoo, he went nuts. And that happens too often with these people,” Trump said when a reporter highlighted suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal’s ties to the CIA. “There was no vetting or anything. They came in unvetted. And we have a lot of others in this country. We’re going to get them out.”

Donald Trump calls reporter a ‘stupid person’ during questioning

The president grew frustrated when a reporter insisted that Afghan refugees accepted into the US had been vetted.

“Are you a stupid person?” Trump fired back. “Because they came in on a plane along with thousands of other people that shouldn’t be here, and you’re just asking questions because you’re a stupid person.”

Lakanwal entered the US in September 2021 as part of former President Joe Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome. He overstayed his visa and was in the US illegally at the time of the attack. It was also revealed that he worked for the CIA as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Soon after the shooting, the Trump administration announced an immediate suspension of “processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals” indefinitely, pending a review of vetting protocols.

Donald Trump calls for mass removal of immigrants who do not belong in the US

After the attack, Trump described the shooting as “a heinous assault … an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror.”

He added, “We must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country.” He also claimed, “The last administration let in 20 million unknown foreigners from all over the world.”

US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro confirmed that Lakanwal will face murder charges, and Attorney General Pam Bondi said prosecutors would seek the death penalty.