NEW: Trump Admin Moves Against Dem Rep. After Explosive Remark About Nat’l Guard Shooting

The Trump administration pounced Thursday after a top House Democrat appeared to downplay the murderous shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington amid a sharp clash during a Homeland Security hearing.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, initially referred to the November shooting as an “unfortunate accident” while questioning officials about threats facing the United States. One guardsman was killed and another critically wounded in the attack.

The remark immediately drew a forceful rebuke from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was testifying alongside the director of the National Counterterrorism Center and a senior FBI official.

🚨 Rep. Bennie Thompson refers to the terrorist attack against two National Guardsmen in DC as an “unfortunate accident.”

Sec. Noem: “Unfortunate accident? It was a terroist attack. They shot our Guardsmen in the head.” pic.twitter.com/34YtPrVteF

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 11, 2025

Thompson quickly walked back the wording, revising his statement to call the shooting an unfortunate “situation.”

The exchange spread rapidly online, with right-leaning accounts seizing on the moment. The White House Rapid Response account and the Department of Homeland Security both circulated video clips of the exchange on X. DHS labeled the comment “DISGUSTING.”

The stumble undercut what had been aggressive questioning by Thompson aimed at pressing the administration on how it views threats to the homeland, abruptly shifting attention from policy disputes to his choice of words.

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