When Donald Trump was asked whether he planned to attend the funeral of West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, the 20-year-old soldier killed in a shooting near the White House, his response quickly drew attention — and criticism — for what many saw as a self-focused tone.
Trump praised Beckstrom as “an incredible person, outstanding in every single way,” but said he hadn’t “thought about it yet” when asked about attending her funeral. He added that it was “certainly something I can conceive of.”
But moments later, he shifted from discussing Beckstrom to highlighting his own political success. “I love West Virginia,” he said of Beckstrom’s home state. “You know, I won West Virginia by one of the biggest margins of any president anywhere. These are great people.”
Reporters noted a visible change in the room as Trump pivoted from the young soldier's death to boasting about his election victory.
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| Facebook / Sarah Beckstrom |
According to the White House, Trump later called Beckstrom’s parents and used the conversation to characterize the shooting as a “terrorist attack,” blaming the Biden administration for allowing Afghans who aided U.S. operations during the Afghanistan War to enter the country.
Trump has already deployed the National Guard as part of his administration’s mass-deportation initiative. During his remarks, he held up a printed image showing Afghan evacuees packed into a military aircraft during the 2021 Kabul evacuation.
He went on to suggest that the shooter, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal — who reportedly served in a CIA-backed Afghan military unit before immigrating to the U.S. — suffered psychological trauma from the war and the chaotic withdrawal. “He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts,” Trump said. “It happens too often with these people.”
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| Getty Images |
In Webster Springs, West Virginia, Beckstrom’s hometown, the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post announced it would hold prayer vigils to honor her life.
“Our hearts are absolutely broken to share that Sarah has passed away from the injuries she sustained in the D.C. attack,” their statement read. “There are no words big enough for this loss… We will still be gathering for the community vigils—now to honor Sarah’s memory, to lift up her family, and to pray for the other service member who remains injured.”
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