Trump administration officials directly and forcefully attacked several media personalities who appeared to “blame the victim[s]” in Wednesday’s Washington, D.C., shooting of two National Guardsmen.
Ken Dilanian of MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, said Wednesday that there is “so much controversy” happening in the country, noting that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are patrolling the United States and “some Americans might object to that.” He added, “apparently this shooting has happened,” prompting ire from the White House’s Rapid Response account on X.
“.@KDilanianMSNOW, two heroes were just shot protecting our nation’s capital — and this is your takeaway? Democrats have relentlessly demonized these Patriots, calling them “illegal” and even suggesting THEY might start shooting Americans. Get help. You are beyond sick,” the White House’s Rapid Response said on X.
The account also lobbied criticism toward New Yorker staff writer Jane Mayer, who said the National Guard should’ve never been deployed in Washington, D.C., and it was “for political show” despite crime dropping drastically since the deployment.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung issued his own rebuke, telling Mayer to “shut the f*** up for trying to politicize this tragedy.”
“They were protecting DC and trying to make the nation’s capital safer. People like you who engage in ghoulish behavior lose all credibility. Not like you had any to begin with,” Cheung said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the criticism of National Guard deployment by “progressive left idiots” and some news anchors is “disgusting” on Thursday morning. She added that she is looking at the comments made by these lawmakers and anchors to see if they incited violence.
Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell also rebuffed an online claim that National Guard troops were only in the nation’s capital “because Trump fabricated a need for them,” despite the White House citing statistics showing the District of Columbia had the fourth-highest homicide rate of any American city in 2024, and vehicle thefts at more than three times the national average.
“Yikes. Blaming the victim is so ugly. There is no excuse for this,” Grenell said on X.
BONDI CONFIRMS DEATH PENALTY POSSIBLE FOR ‘MONSTER’ NATIONAL GUARDSMEN SHOOTER
Trump condemned the “animal” who shot the two National Guardsmen on Truth Social, warning the suspect will “pay a very steep price.” He also blamed his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, for letting the suspect, an Afghan national, into the country under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that Trump asked him to send 500 additional troops to D.C. The secretary said he will ask Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll to approve the deployment.
