Father of Marine Killed In Afghanistan Blasts Biden: &#03...

By Sam Stevenson

Associate News Editor

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The father of a U.S. Marine killed in Afghanistan during the chaotic 2021 withdrawal has attacked former President Joe Biden after two National Guard members were shot in Washington, D.C.

Newsweek has reached out to Joe Biden's office for comment via a contact form.

Why It Matters

The ongoing debate over the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 gained renewed urgency on Friday when a Gold Star father publicly criticized Biden after an Afghan national, who entered the U.S. during the evacuation, allegedly shot two National Guard members near the White House.

The incident has reignited scrutiny of the vetting process for Afghan evacuees and heightened calls for accountability from families of U.S. service members killed at Kabul's Abbey Gate, a pivotal moment in the withdrawal.

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What To Know

Darin Hoover, father of staff sergeant Darin "Taylor" Hoover—one of 13 U.S. service members killed in the Abbey Gate bombing during the 2021 withdrawal—blamed the Biden administration for the alleged shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal near the White House.

Lakanwal, 29, reportedly entered the United States following the fall of Kabul after having worked with U.S. agencies, including the CIA, in Kandahar, according to CBS News.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Hoover claimed Wednesday’s attack near the White House was a direct consequence of Biden’s failure to properly vet Afghan refugees who came to the U.S as part of Operation Allies Welcome.

He said: "This is on the feckless Biden administration. We had no idea who was getting into this country because the Biden administration, especially the State Department run by Antony Blinken, didn’t do the work that was needed to vet all these people. There were so many people put on the planes that got out initially, that we have no idea who they were."

The FBI is investigating the Washington shooting, which is being treated as a possible act of international terrorism, Fox News Digital has reported.

President Donald Trump has characterized the incident as a "terrorist attack" and pledged to "permanently suspend migration" from all "third world countries." In response to the attack, the U.S. State Department has paused all visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports, according to Mark Rubio.

The Secretary of State posted on X: "President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for all individuals traveling on Afghan passports. The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people."

Joseph Edlow, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced late Friday that the agency will temporarily halt all asylum decisions "until we can ensure that every individual is vetted and screened to the highest possible standard."

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What People Are Saying

Steve Hoover told Fox News Digital: “All we got is men of fighting age that are most likely terrorists that are here in the homeland to do us all harm and take our beloved United States of America.

"Maybe if the Biden administration started the process earlier than the truncated timetable that they did, this could have all come out so much better, including all of our most precious men and women of our military coming home."

Former CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News Digital: “The individual—and so many others—should have never been allowed to come here. Our citizens and service members deserve far better than to endure the ongoing fallout from the Biden administration’s catastrophic failures.”

Posting on Truth Social, President Donald Trump said: "Even as we have progressed technologically, Immigration Policy has eroded those gains and living conditions for many. I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country, end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization."

What Happens Next

The FBI’s investigation into the shooting is still underway, and growing calls for a comprehensive review and overhaul of Afghan refugee vetting procedures are gaining momentum.

Trump has urged a "re-examination" of all Afghans admitted under Operation Allies Welcome and vowed to halt Afghan immigration processing until security protocols are reviewed. And Vice President JD Vance echoed those concerns, warning that the U.S. "cannot unleash thousands of unvetted people into our country."

Gold Star families have stated they will continue to seek public accountability for the Abbey Gate losses and press for action on the policies that led to the chaotic evacuation.

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