After National Guard Shooting, Former GOP Congressman Blames Trump for “Creating the Conditions” Behind the Attack

WASHINGTON — The shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., has ignited a wave of political recriminations, culminating in unusually sharp criticism from a former Republican congressman who directly blamed former President Donald J. Trump for the circumstances leading to the attack.

The incident occurred earlier this week when two West Virginia National Guard members were shot while on duty in the nation’s capital. One of the soldiers, 20-year-old Sarah Beckrom, later died of her injuries. The second, 24-year-old Andrew Wolf, remains hospitalized in critical condition. Authorities have taken a suspect into custody, an Afghan national whose motive has not yet been publicly disclosed.

The tragedy unfolded on the same day a federal court ruling drew renewed attention to the legality of the troop presence in Washington. Judge Jia Cobb of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the Pentagon’s deployment of National Guard forces in the city violated federal law limiting military involvement in civilian policing. In a statement, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said the decision underscored longstanding concerns that “normalizing the use of military troops for domestic law enforcement sets a dangerous precedent.”

The Guard members stationed in the city had been deputized as special federal marshals. City officials have repeatedly argued that their deployment lacked clear justification and placed service members unnecessarily at risk.

Against this backdrop, Joe Walsh, a former Republican congressman and one-time supporter of Mr. Trump, issued a scathing public condemnation, saying the former president bore responsibility for placing troops in what he described as an “unnecessary” and “politicized” mission. “For purely selfish and political reasons, Donald Trump put those National Guard members in Washington, D.C.,” Mr. Walsh said in a recorded statement. “They weren’t doing anything there. He made them targets.”

Mr. Walsh’s remarks reflect a broader political debate over whether military personnel have been drawn into partisan conflicts. Critics of Mr. Trump argue that his public rhetoric and previous decisions, including the extended deployment of Guard forces in urban areas during periods of unrest, have heightened tensions and blurred the lines between civilian policing and military roles. Supporters of the former president counter that such deployments were necessary to maintain order and have accused his political opponents of exploiting the tragedy.

The shooting has also revived conversations about racial bias in public reactions to violent crime, following a widely circulated social-media commentary that highlighted disparities in how communities interpret incidents based on the suspect’s background. Analysts say the online debate underscores how quickly national security events can become entangled with broader cultural and political divides.

Federal investigators have released few details about the suspect or the circumstances surrounding the attack, and there is no indication that the shooting was connected to any political directive. Representatives for Mr. Trump did not respond to requests for comment.

As the National Guard and local authorities continue their investigation, the deaths have renewed scrutiny of how political decisions intersect with public safety — and how service members can be caught in the middle of national conflicts far removed from the missions they expected to perform.