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On November 26, 2025, two West Virginia National Guard members were ambushed while on a visible patrol just blocks from the White House — an audacious attack in the heart of the nation’s capital that has left Americans asking the hard question: could this have been prevented? The brazen nature of the ambush and the fact that these troops had been sworn in only hours earlier make this more than a criminal act; it is a stark national-security failure that touches every American who believes the capital should be safe for those who defend it.
The human cost is devastating. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old Guardswoman, succumbed to her wounds, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition — young patriots cut down while doing their duty to protect Americans and our institutions. Their families, their unit, and every citizen owe them more than thoughts and prayers; they deserve accountability and action from a federal government that appears to have dropped the ball on vetting and security.
Authorities have named the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who came to the United States under programs intended to help our wartime partners and was reportedly granted asylum this year after arriving in 2021. Reports indicate he once worked with CIA-backed units in Afghanistan and allegedly drove across the country to carry out this attack — details that should alarm anyone concerned with how individuals from conflict zones are admitted and monitored on American soil.
Prosecutors have moved quickly to upgrade charges and seek the maximum penalties possible, reflecting the gravity of a targeted attack on service members standing watch in the capital. This is appropriate, but criminal charges after the fact are not a substitute for policies that prevent dangerous people from ending up in our cities in the first place. Americans want justice for Sarah and Andrew, and they also want to know what systemic fixes will stop a repeat.
President Trump and his team have publicly blamed the lax vetting from prior resettlement practices and announced a sweeping review and immediate pauses in processing for certain visas — moves that ought to have bipartisan support if protecting Americans is the priority. It is un-American to prioritize political correctness over public safety, and any administration that allows porous vetting of entrants from war zones must answer for the consequences when that policy is exploited.
This moment should force a reckoning: we must restore rigorous, enforceable vetting standards, rebuild intelligence and immigration coordination, and ensure that programs intended to protect allies do not unintentionally import threats. Conservative lawmakers and citizens must press for transparent investigations, immediate reforms to screening protocols, and if necessary, the suspension of programs that cannot guarantee security for the American people and our troops.
As grief turns to resolve, remember what these Guardsmen represented: quiet sacrifice and courage. The true test of leadership now is not the speeches or the pledges, but concrete policy changes that put Americans and those who serve first. We owe Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe a nation that learns from this tragedy and acts decisively to keep Washington, and every American community, safe.
