US President Donald Trump denounced the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House and described the act as terror and a crime against humanity. Briefing the media, Trump said that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who came from Afghanistan on a 2021 airlift and called the country a “hellhole”.

“This was a heinous assault and an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror. It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity,” he said.
Trump confirmed the suspect is in custody, who is from Afghanistan.

“I can report tonight that based on the best available information, the Department of Homeland Security is confident that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan- a hellhole on earth,” Trump said.

On Thursday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that, with immediate effect, all immigration processing related to Afghan nationals has been halted indefinitely.

Earlier, in a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed support for the National Guard and said he had ordered an additional 500 Guard personnel to Washington after the shooting. He referred to the gunman as an “animal” and said he would “pay a very steep price.”

“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” he wrote.

He added, “God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”

The shooting occurred on Wednesday afternoon, just a few blocks from the White House and has been described by officials as a deliberate attack. FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said both soldiers remain hospitalised in critical condition.