• President calls journalist a “stupid person” after she cites DOJ vetting report
• West Virginia National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries
• Suspect previously worked with CIA in Afghanistan, was granted asylum in April 2025

MAR-A-LAGO, FL (TDR) — President Donald Trump called CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes a “stupid person” during a Thanksgiving press conference after she questioned his claims about the vetting of Afghan nationals brought to the United States following the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The exchange occurred as Trump announced the death of Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard member who died from injuries sustained in Wednesday’s shooting near the White House.

Trump just flamed a lib reporter who asked why he’s blaming Biden for the DC terrorist attack.

“Because they let him in. Are you stupid?”

You can see the pain in his eyes as he explains how Biden+Congress made it nearly impossible to deport the Afghans. pic.twitter.com/BWQSCZ79uM

— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) November 28, 2025

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The exchange

Cordes noted that the suspect, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, worked closely with the CIA in Afghanistan for years and passed vetting procedures. She cited a Department of Justice Inspector General report indicating thorough screening by DHS and the FBI of Afghan evacuees.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE THE DUPREE REPORT

“Your DOJ IG just reported this year that there was thorough vetting by DHS and by the FBI of these Afghans who were brought into the U.S., so why do you blame the Biden administration?” Cordes asked.

“Because they let them in. Are you stupid? Are you a stupid person?”

Trump responded that Lakanwal “went cuckoo” and maintained there was “no vetting or anything” of Afghan nationals who entered under Operation Allies Welcome.

Conflicting accounts on vetting

The debate over refugee screening involves disputed claims from multiple sources. FBI Director Kash Patel stated at a Thursday press conference that the Biden administration did “absolutely zero vetting” of Afghan refugees.

However, a senior U.S. official told multiple news outlets that Lakanwal “was clean on all checks” during vetting by the National Counterterrorism Center. CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed Lakanwal worked with the agency as part of a partner force in Kandahar.

A June 2025 DOJ Inspector General report found 55 Afghan evacuees were flagged on terrorism watch lists before or after entering the United States. The same report noted that the majority of evacuees were not considered security risks and that the FBI had generally performed its screening duties.

Suspect’s background

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Lakanwal entered the United States on September 8, 2021, under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that resettled approximately 76,000 Afghan nationals following the Taliban takeover. He applied for asylum in December 2024 and was granted asylum in April 2025—three months into Trump’s current term.

AfghanEvac, a nonprofit run by U.S. veterans that works to resettle Afghan refugees, stated that Lakanwal served in NDS-03, an elite counterterrorism unit operated by the CIA.

“Afghan immigrants and wartime allies who resettle in the United States undergo some of the most extensive security vetting of any population entering the country. This individual’s isolated and violent act should not be used as an excuse to define or diminish an entire community.”

AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver added in an NPR interview that if there was a vetting failure, “we’ve got to fix it, but we can’t paint with a broad brush this entire community.”

The victims

Beckstrom, from Summersville, West Virginia, enlisted in June 2023 and was assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company. She volunteered to work through Thanksgiving so other guardsmen could spend the holiday with their families.

Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains hospitalized in critical condition. Both soldiers were deployed to Washington as part of Trump’s “Operation D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey stated that Beckstrom “served with courage, extraordinary resolve, and an unwavering sense of duty to her state and to her nation.”

Administration response

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it was halting processing of all immigration requests for Afghan nationals “indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced charges including three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated the administration will seek the death penalty.

What factors should policymakers consider when balancing national security concerns with refugee resettlement programs?

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