Trump’s big reaction after Afghan national opens fire on two Guard near White House—What we know so far

Washington DC Shooting: The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Thursday announced a sweeping and immediate halt on all immigration requests from Afghan nationals, hours after an alleged Kabul-born attacker opened fire on National Guard personnel in Washington, just blocks from the White House.

In an official post on X, the agency declared, “Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.” It added, “The protections and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission.”

US President Donald Trump condemned the strike, calling it an “act of terror” in a nationally televised address. “This heinous assault was an act of evil and an act of hatred, and an act of terror. It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity,” Trump said on Wednesday evening.

‘A hellhole on earth’: Trump

The president further stressed that the suspect is a “foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on earth,” blaming the previous Biden administration for granting the attacker refugee entry. Trump vowed a full reassessment of Afghan entrants.

“We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and 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 if they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” he said.

Trump also announced the deployment of 500 additional troops to tighten the security grid around the capital. The shooting occurred less than 500 metres from the White House, while the President was away in Florida for Thanksgiving.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the case would be prosecuted federally, noting it involved an attack on federal law enforcement personnel. The heightened security presence follows months of National Guard mobilisations across several states as part of Trump’s intensified public safety campaign. Currently, about 2,400 Guard troops are stationed in Washington — 958 from the DC National Guard and nearly 1,300 from eight other states.

An Afghan national has been accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members in a daylight attack near the White House. The assault comes amid escalating political tensions over troop deployments in major US cities.

FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said both Guard members were in critical condition after the attack. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey later walked back an earlier announcement of their deaths, citing “conflicting reports” about their condition.

The Thanksgiving-eve attack marks an exceptionally rare instance of National Guard personnel being shot on US soil. It comes as the Trump administration faces ongoing judicial battles and public debate over its heavy use of military forces to address what it describes as uncontrolled urban crime.

The administration swiftly ordered 500 more troops to Washington in response.

The shooting unfolded roughly two blocks northwest of the White House, near a busy metro station. According to Carroll, nearby troops rushed toward the gunfire and physically restrained the gunman after he was shot.

“It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Carroll said, noting uncertainty over whether a Guard member or law enforcement officer fired the shot that hit the suspect. “At this point we have no other suspects,” he added, as foreign media reported.