Updated on: November 27, 2025 / 8:55 PM EST / CBS News
President Trump spent Thanksgiving at his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago with his wife, Melania. He played golf in the morning, and the couple called service members Thursday night.
Earlier in the week, Mr. Trump and the first lady took part in the annual White House turkey pardoning on Tuesday, granting Waddle and Gobble a “full and unconditional pardon” before departing for the holiday.
On Wednesday night, two members of the National Guard were shot near the White House. The victims were identified as West Virginia National Guard members Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Army Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Both had been stationed in Washington, D.C., since August and were deputized to conduct presence patrols less than 24 hours earlier. Beckstrom later died from her injuries at the hospital, President Trump told reporters Thursday night; Wolfe was described as “fighting for his life.”
U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Wolfe was in critical condition after surgery. A White House official told CBS News that Mr. Trump spoke with Beckstrom’s parents on Thursday night.
Authorities identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national they said was paroled into the U.S. on Sept. 8, 2021, under the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome program for Afghan nationals. The CIA confirmed Lakanwal had worked with the agency in Afghanistan. Officials said the suspect was shot by another Guard member and taken into custody; they say he drove from Washington state to carry out the attack. Mr. Trump said Thursday the suspect was in serious condition.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that an additional 500 National Guard members would be sent to D.C., joining roughly 2,200 troops already deployed there as of Sunday morning.
Mr. Trump posted a video Wednesday night addressing the shooting, calling it “an act of evil and an act of hatred and an act of terror,” and saying it was a crime against the nation and against humanity. He noted the suspect had entered the U.S. under the Biden-era program and vowed to “reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden,” saying authorities must take all necessary measures to remove anyone who “does not belong here, or add benefit to our country.” He also pivoted in the video to discuss Somali immigrants in Minnesota.
