Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem deflected questions about whether the Trump administration had fully investigated the alleged National Guard shooter, a Afghan nationalwhen it granted him asylum earlier this year, and then repeatedly blamed former President Joe Biden.

Appearing Sunday on NBC News'”Meet the press“Noem told host Kristen Welker: “We believe [the suspect] “He’s been radicalized since he’s been here in this country.”

“We will never allow this to continue happening in our country, we will allow the people who came to our country and who were not vetted by Joe Biden to run free and loose,” he added. “We are going to bring them to justice and make sure they are returned out of this country if they are not here for the purpose of being Americans.”

Noem’s comments came after Trump announced plans to “permanently pause migration from all third world countries” following the shooting of two members of the National Guard in Washington, DC, on Thanksgiving Eve in an ambush linked to suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

Lakanwal, who moved to the United States to serve in a CIA-backed special Afghan army unit, faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a violent crime.

Welker then noted that Lakanwal would have “undergone a thorough investigation” during his tenure at the CIA and that his asylum request would also have been approved in April 2025 by Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency that is part of the US Department of Homeland Security.

“Why did the Trump administration grant the suspect asylum in April? Did you know then that he was moving toward radicalization?” Welker asked.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said former President Joe Biden was responsible for investigating the Afghan national linked to the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., even though the suspect was granted asylum during Donald Trump's second term.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said former President Joe Biden was responsible for investigating the Afghan national linked to the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., even though the suspect was granted asylum during Donald Trump’s second term.

Fake Images/YouTube.

Noem ignored the question and continued criticizing Biden.

“The Biden administration put people on planes and brought them to the United States without vetting them,” Noem said.

Biden announced the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The withdrawal led to suicide attacks at the Kabul airport, which killed 170 Afghans and 13 US soldiers, among other violent incidents. The Republican Party rebuked Biden for the move.

Welker continued to question Noem about the exact type of background investigation the Trump administration did before granting asylum to Lakanwal.

“So, to be very clear, was there a vetting process in place to approve that asylum request?” Welker asked.

“Yes,” said Noem. “The entire investigative process was carried out under the Joe Biden administration.”

Welker interjected: “But were you tested when you were granted asylum?”

“That’s what’s so broken…” Noem responded, to which the NBC host added: “Are you saying he wasn’t tested when he was granted asylum?”

Noem again deflected blame, claiming that the background investigation “was completely abandoned under the Joe Biden administration.”

Watch Noem’s appearance on “Meet the Press” below.

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