Kristi Noem revealed on Sunday that the Afghan national accused of shooting two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., last week was radicalized only after entering the United States. As of now, the federal government does not believe he was a radical when he was first admitted to the country in 2021 under Joe Biden's administration in the wake of the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal.
On NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security stated that 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal maintained "connections" to people still in Afghanistan, who contributed to his radicalization, leading up to the terror attack.
“I will say we believe he was radicalized since he’s been here in this country,” Noem said. “We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state, and we’re going to continue to talk to those who interacted with him, who were his family members, who talk to them.”
Lakanwal is accused of shooting National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe last Wednesday, and is set to be charged with first-degree murder. Further charges are expected to come following a full investigation.
In response to the terror attack, President Trump has halted all immigration to the U.S. from the third world.
Recent reports have provided further insight, showing that neighbors of Lakanwal, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, had watched his decline, from an ally of the U.S. to a possible terrorist.
From the Associated Press:
In Afghanistan, Lakanwal worked in a special Afghan Army unit known as a Zero Unit. The units were backed by the CIA. He entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the American withdrawal. Many had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats.
...
Lakanwal resettled with his wife and their five sons, all under the age of 12, in Bellingham, Washington, but struggled, according to the community member, who shared emails that had been sent to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, a nonprofit group that provides services to refugees.
“Rahmanullah has not been functional as a person, father and provider since March of last year, 03/2023. He quit his job that month, and his behavior has changed greatly,” the person wrote in a January 2024 email.
The emails described a man who was struggling to assimilate, unable to hold a steady job or commit to his English courses while he alternated between “periods of dark isolation and reckless travel.” Sometimes, he spent weeks in his “darkened room, not speaking to anyone, not even his wife or older kids.” At one point in 2023, the family faced eviction after months of not paying rent.
However, he showed no signs of willingness to commit any acts of violence. His descent began to affect his children, who often went significant periods without bathing or changing their clothes, which caused the local school to raise concerns.
The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, which began monitoring the situation, reported that he did try to make up for his lack of care toward his children and "do the right things." However, that slight positive uptick devolved into a series of manic episodes in which he would take the family car and drive nonstop to distant locations, including Arizona and Chicago.
Secretary Noem continued to spar with Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press" over who was ultimately to blame for the situation. Welker asked about the Trump administration's approval of Lakanwal's refugee status in April of 2025. Noem continued to insist that ultimate responsibility lies with the Biden administration.
NBC Host DESPERATELY Tries To Blame Trump Administration For National Guard Murder Suspect
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) November 30, 2025
Kristen Welker: "In terms of what happened on the Trump administration's watch ... His asylum was approved in April of this year on the Trump Administration's watch..."
Kristi Noem: "the… pic.twitter.com/PauN9nlRlo
These developments point to a third, and deeply troubling, reality: individuals residing in the United States remain vulnerable to significant foreign terrorist influence, particularly those arriving from unstable nations. And the government appears powerless to stop it. Had President Biden not allowed Afghanistan to fall to the Taliban, we likely wouldn’t have witnessed the tragedy that unfolded last week.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.
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