Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina reportedly did not hold back when reacting to the shocking shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., taking direct aim at the Biden administration and its handling of Afghan resettlement.
Appearing on Fox News, Mace demanded the harshest possible punishment for the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, and tied the attack to what she described as the disastrous failures of President Joe Biden’s policies.
Lakanwal arrived in the United States in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program used to bring Afghan nationals to the U.S. following the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Reports indicate he worked with a CIA-backed Zero Unit before being evacuated. He was granted asylum earlier this year. Now, he stands accused of ambushing National Guard members Andrew Wolfe, 24, and Sarah Beckstrom, 20, with a .357 revolver, leaving both in critical condition.
In her interview with Fox News anchor Kevin Corke, Mace was unequivocal about the consequences she believes the suspect should face. Calling him a terrorist, she declared that the Justice Department and the judge overseeing the case should “put this terrorist down,” adding bluntly, “He doesn’t deserve to live!”
For Mace, the shooting was not an isolated crime but a predictable result of the administration’s approach to both the Afghan evacuation and broader national security issues. She argued that the Biden administration failed to properly vet individuals brought into the country during the withdrawal, allowing dangerous actors to slip through the cracks.
“What we’re learning now is that the devastating withdrawal from Afghanistan has had devastating consequences,” she said, emphasizing the ripple effects she believes have stemmed from that moment. According to Mace, the administration “didn’t fully vet the individuals that were coming from Afghanistan over here to the United States,” leaving Americans vulnerable.
She also broadened her criticism to include border security, asserting that vetting failures extended beyond Afghan evacuees. Citing the situation at the southern border during the Biden years, Mace claimed that “hundreds” of potential terrorists may have entered the U.S., pointing to what she sees as a nationwide security threat.
“I believe that the vetting was very loose,” she said. “We know on our southern border during the Biden administration, we had a number – hundreds – of potential terrorists that came across the southern border into the United States. We know that there are terrorist cells all across the country waiting to act, we don’t know when.”
With two young National Guard members fighting for their lives and a suspect whose presence in the country stemmed from Biden-era policies, Mace used the moment to underscore her longstanding argument: that weak leadership and lax vetting jeopardize American safety. Her message was unmistakable—she holds the president’s decisions directly responsible for the dangers she says the country now faces.
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