White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sharply criticized President Joe Biden’s 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, arguing it continues to exact a terrible toll following the deadly shooting of a National Guardswoman and the serious wounding of another. The remarks came during a Monday briefing, where Leavitt linked the attack to resettlement of Afghan nationals under the administration’s post‑withdrawal policies.
Leavitt said the withdrawal not only paved the way for the suicide bombing at Kabul’s Abbey Gate — which killed 13 Americans — but also contributed to the shootings near the White House last week. She accused the previous administration of recklessly admitting “close to 100,000 Afghan nationals … with little to no vetting,” claiming many were flagged by security agencies for potential threats, fraud, or criminal ties.
“The tragedy we witnessed the day before Thanksgiving is a reminder that untold thousands of terrorists, gang members, and criminals were invited into our country and remain here to this very day,” she asserted.
The victims of the shooting — 20‑year‑old Guardswoman Sarah Beckstrom, who died Thursday, and 24‑year‑old National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, who remains critically wounded — were described by Leavitt as “people who reflect the very best of America.” She quoted the verse John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Authorities have identified 29‑year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal as the suspect in the attack. Lakanwal reportedly entered the U.S. under the 2021 resettlement program known as Operation Allies Welcome, just weeks after the Abbey Gate bombing. Officials report that he allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the assault.
Leavitt said the incident underscores what she called a national security crisis rooted in the decision to admit large numbers of Afghan evacuees — many, she claimed, without “adequate vetting.” She argued the attack exemplifies the dangerous consequences of those policies.
As questions swirl around immigration, vetting, and national security, the White House is now placing blame for tragic violence on policies enacted during Biden’s withdrawal — igniting renewed debate over resettlement, vetting standards, and public‑safety risks.
