Rev. Al Sharpton publicly blamed President Donald Trump after two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House on Thanksgiving Eve, arguing the deployment put them in harm’s way and criticizing the administration’s response. The incident left both guardsmen critically wounded and prompted a renewed debate over security, presidential decisions, and how public figures frame tragedies. This piece lays out the facts of the shooting, Sharpton’s comments quoted exactly, the White House response, and why Republicans see the quick politicization as the wrong call.
Two National Guard members were shot near 17th and I Street NW, forcing a rapid police response and a temporary lockdown of the area. The attack happened on Thanksgiving Eve and authorities say the situation was serious enough to prompt immediate action to secure streets around federal buildings. The presence of federal forces in Washington began in August as part of a federal response to rising crime and disorder, bringing the current deployment to roughly 2,200 personnel.
On national television, Rev. Al Sharpton did not hesitate to connect the shooting to presidential policy, telling host Nicole Wallace, “Matter of two people fighting for their lives, guardsmen, that this president put there. And as I said, I was one that was very vocal against that. But I’m not going to belittle the fact that their lives are at stake to get into a back and forth with the president.” His comments underscored a political instinct to assign blame before investigations finish.
Sharpton continued with another direct critique, saying, “I can say that if I’m a member of their families, I don’t want to hear what he’s saying about Honduras right now. I want to pray that these two guardsmen who were ordered there and who we’re being told by the mayor was ambushed, make it through.” Those words were aimed at shifting focus from immediate care for wounded servicemembers to partisan debate about policy choices.
The administration quickly ordered additional support after the shooting, with the president directing 500 more National Guard troops into Washington, D.C. A Republican perspective sees that move as a commonsense step to protect the capital and the people serving there. Critics who rush to politicize a response are missing the point that commanders and elected leaders must respond first and debate later.
Sharpton pushed back on the reinforcement plan, asking, “And all of this about sending in 500 people, what does that have to do with where we are now? I think that we’ve got to, those of us that have been opposed to the president’s policy, show that we are not going to morally match him by going down to a level of insensitivity,” Sharpton added. That appeal to moral restraint rings hollow when it comes at the expense of supporting troops under fire.
He also took aim at the president’s allies, saying, “There are two people fighting for their lives on Thanksgiving Eve. And it just seems ironic to me that people that pardoned people assaulting police officers are now talking about how they’re going to uphold and look up to the people in the building. People in that building were beat January 6th,” Sharpton said. Republicans argue that such remarks reopen old wounds and distract from protecting law enforcement and service members in real time.
Authorities are treating the shooting with the seriousness it deserves. FBI Director Kash Patel that investigators will treat the shooting of two National Guard soldiers as an assault on a federal law enforcement officer. From a Republican view, that classification is appropriate and reflects the federal interest in defending both personnel and institutions.
The immediate priority must be the wounded guardsmen and securing the area so investigators can determine motive and method. Political leaders should refrain from seizing a tragedy to score points and instead back law enforcement and the troops who answered the call. Quick, practical support followed by calm, evidence-driven debate is the proper sequence when violence strikes in the heart of the capital.
WATCH:
https://x.com/DailyCaller/status/1993800402035462182
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