In the wake of the recent National Guard shooting, the Democratic Party, including Rep.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), has been quick to point fingers at President Donald Trump, blaming him for deploying the Guard to Washington, D.C.
However, the White House has not remained silent, issuing a strong counter to Schultz's allegations.
According to RedState, Schultz questioned Trump's decision to deploy military troops in the nation's capital, asking, "[W]ould an individual have flown across the country to target law enforcement officers in Washington, D.C.? And, I mean, the answer is likely no. So, why wasnt the Presidents first thought, 'Wow, you know, maybe I should reconsider deploying military troops in the nations capital or in any city?'"
She further criticized the lack of coordination with city leadership and suggested that local law enforcement was more than capable of handling the criminal justice issues at hand, rather than involving the military. Schultz's argument seems to imply that the presence of military personnel in the city might have provoked the attack.
However, this perspective overlooks the fact that the Trump administration did coordinate with D.C. locals, and even the Democratic mayor acknowledged the federal action's positive impact on reducing crime in the city.
Schultz continued her critique, highlighting potential gaps in the vetting process that allowed the shooter, who had previously assisted the U.S. military in Afghanistan, into the country. She stated, "If there were gaps that admitted this person, they would have failed over multiple levels of gaps. And this individual was trusted enough to participate in assisting our military during the war in Afghanistan."
This statement seems to deflect blame from the Biden administration for potentially inadequate vetting procedures. However, as Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, pointed out, there is a significant difference between vetting someone to work with the U.S. military in Afghanistan and vetting them for residency in the U.S.
Schultz further accused Trump of failing to take responsibility for his policies, stating, "The president looks everywhere except inward to blame his own policies. We need to make sure that we dont have our military deployed in our cities, doing handling law enforcement responsibilities."
Interestingly, Schultz did not place any blame on the alleged attacker, nor did she acknowledge the left's demonization of the Guard. This omission raises questions about whether such demonization may have played a role in the attack.
The White House swiftly responded to Schultz's accusations. "This animal wouldve never been here if not for Joe Bidens dangerous policies, which allowed countless unvetted criminals to invade our country and harm the American people. The Trump administration is taking every measure possible in the face of unrelenting Democrat opposition to get these monsters out of our country and clean up the mess made by the Biden administration. Instead of defending terrorists, the Democrats should join us in protecting the American people," spokeswoman Abigail Jackson wrote.
The Democrats' focus on criticizing Trump rather than addressing the root causes of such incidents raises questions about their commitment to national security. It remains to be seen whether they will join the efforts to protect the American people or continue to politicize tragic events for their own ends.
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