Trump vows to ‘permanently pause’ migration from some countries after National Guard shooting
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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said he will “permanently pause migration” from some countries following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., earlier this week.
In a post on his social media platform late Thursday, Trump did not specify which countries the pause would affect, saying it would apply to “Third World Countries.”
In June, Trump issued a proclamation banning travel to the U.S. from 12 countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East, and imposing travel restrictions on several others.
In the post on Thursday, Trump also listed a number of actions he said the U.S. would take, though it’s not yet clear how the Trump administration plans to accomplish them.
He said the U.S. would “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.”
The suspect in Wednesday’s shooting, which claimed the life of one National Guard member and left the other in critical condition, is 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
Officials say Lakanwal came to the U.S. in 2021 during the Biden administration. He was granted asylum in April 2025 under Trump, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
In Afghanistan, the suspect was involved with the Zero Unit, working closely with the CIA and the Joint Special Operations Command, according to sources familiar with the investigation. The suspect was a trusted member of that team, which went after U.S. counterterrorism targets, according to sources.
Trump has vowed an immigration crackdown following the shooting, saying Wednesday the attack “underscores the greatest national security threat facing our nation.”
In the past, Democrats and immigration advocates have pushed back against the president’s immigration restrictions, including on asylum seekers, contending that he has exaggerated national security concerns and turned away millions of families in need.
Trump ordered National Guard troops to Washington this summer. He has also ordered members of the National Guard to other Democrat-led cities such as Chicago and Portland, Oregon.
A makeshift memorial for DFL State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman is seen at the Minnesota State Capitol building, June 16, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (Steven Garcia/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — While President Donald Trump has called for an end to political violence following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, he did not recognize or acknowledge the recent threats, violent attacks and killings of Democrats.
During his remarks Wednesday night, hours after Kirk, a conservative influencer who worked closely with Trump and his family, was killed, Trump posted a video condemning the shooting and other political violence and brought up some recent examples.
“From the attack on my life in Butler Pennsylvania last year, which killed a husband and father, to the attacks on ICE agents, to the vicious murder of a health care executive in the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others, radical Left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives,” he said.
Trump’s comments didn’t recognize several acts of violence that affected Democratic individuals within the last year.
On June 14, a masked gunman police say was disguised as a police officer allegedly shot two Minnesota state legislators and their spouses in their homes.
Democratic State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were killed along with their dog, and State Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were shot and wounded.
Investigators arrested and charged Vance Luther Boelter with the shootings and alleged that he had a hit list with dozens of other targets, including other Democratic lawmakers, abortion providers and pro-choice activists.
Boelter has been charged with state and federal crimes, including murder and animal cruelty, and has pleaded not guilty.
Following the Minnesota shooting, Trump called the incident “absolutely terrible,” however, he slammed Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, and did not call him.
“I think he’s a terrible governor. I think he’s a grossly incompetent person. But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too,” he told ABC News’ Rachel Scott on June 15.
Vice President JD Vance, Walz’s vice presidential opponent during the 2024 election, did contact the governor the day of the shooting, according to sources.
However, Trump continued to lambast the governor to the press.
“Why would I call him? I could call and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ Uh, the guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. I could be nice and call, but why waste time?” Trump told reporters on June 17.
Trump did call Walz following the Aug. 22 shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis, where two children were killed and 21 others were wounded.
The Minnesota state legislators’ shooting took place two months after a Democratic governor and his family were said by police to have been targeted in their own home.
On April 13, the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion was set on fire by a suspect while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were celebrating Passover, police said.
No one was seriously hurt and the suspect, Cody Allen Balmer, turned himself in, according to the police.
Balmer allegedly told police he would have attacked Shapiro with the hammer if he happened upon the governor inside the residence, according to investigators.
Balmer has pleaded not guilty to his charges, which include terrorism.
Trump was asked about the attack a day after and said the suspect was “just a whack job.”
“The attacker was not a fan of Trump. I understand just from what I’ve read and from what I’ve been told,” said Trump, adding that he was not informed of the motive in the incident.
“The attacker basically wasn’t a fan of anybody. Probably just a whack job. And certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen,” he added.
Shapiro told reporters that Trump called him six days after the incident, and that he appreciated the call.
“He was very gracious,” Shapiro said.
Despite Trump’s lack of acknowledgment of these incidents, other Republicans have mentioned the Democratic targeting in their responses to Kirk’s shooting.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox noted Shapiro’s alleged attempted assassination and the Hortmans’ deaths during his news conference on Wednesday.
“When someone takes the life of a person because of their ideas or their ideals, then that very constitutional foundation is threatened,” he said.
“Our nation is broken. We’ve had political assassinations recently in Minnesota. We had an attempted assassination of the governor of Pennsylvania. And we had an attempted assassination on a presidential candidate and former president of the United States, and now current president of the United States. Nothing I say can unite us as a country,” Cox added.
Several Democratic leaders, including former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, also put out statements condemning Kirk’s assassination.
“There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now. Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones,” Biden said.
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) speaks at a press conference with other Senate Democrats on the creation of a Social Security War Room, in Washington DC, United States on April 1, 2025. Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — A day after the Department of Defense said it would be launching a “thorough review” into Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continued to bash the Arizona senator, accusing him of incorrectly wearing his military medals and calling the video addressed to troops that Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers were in a “politically-motivated influence operation.”
“So ‘Captain’ Kelly, not only did your sedition video intentionally undercut good order & discipline…but you can’t even display your uniform properly,” Hegseth said in a post shared on X on Tuesday.
Hegseth’s post was in response to Kelly’s statement on Monday regarding the Pentagon’s alleged review, which included a photo of his military medals.
“Your medals are out of order & rows reversed. When/if you are recalled to active duty, it’ll start with a uniform inspection,” Hegseth added.
Along with criticizing Kelly’s uniform, he called the video featuring the Arizona senator and other Democratic lawmakers — which said military members could refuse illegal orders — a “politically-motivated influence operation.”
“The military already has clear procedures for handling unlawful orders. It does not need political actors injecting doubt into an already clear chain of command,” Hegseth said on Tuesday.
Hegseth appears to be referring to the placement of Kelly’s medals for overseas combat deployments in the photo that he posted on social media. In the photo, those medals appear on the second row of the ribbon rack instead of towards the end of the rack as required under the rules for the placement of all earned medals and ribbons.
Hegseth did not note that Kelly has earned valor devices on several of the medals shown in the photo which indicate that they were awarded for valor or heroism in battle.
The Defense secretary’s comments mocking the retired U.S. Navy captain come after the Pentagon said it had “received serious allegations of misconduct” against Kelly — days after President Donald Trump accused the Arizona senator and other Democratic lawmakers of “seditious behavior” for the video.
“In accordance with the Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. § 688, and other applicable regulations, a thorough review of these allegations has been initiated to determine further actions, which may include recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures. This matter will be handled in compliance with military law, ensuring due process and impartiality. Further official comments will be limited, to preserve the integrity of the proceedings,” according to a statement from the Department of Defense on Monday.
“The Department of War reminds all individuals that military retirees remain subject to the UCMJ for applicable offenses, and federal laws such as 18 U.S.C. § 2387 prohibit actions intended to interfere with the loyalty, morale, or good order and discipline of the armed forces. Any violations will be addressed through appropriate legal channels,” the Pentagon said.
“When I was 22 years old, I commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy and swore an oath to the Constitution. I upheld that oath through flight school, multiple deployments on the USS Midway, 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm, test pilot school, four space shuttle flights at NASA, and every day since I retired — which I did after my wife Gabby was shot in the head while serving her constituents,” Kelly wrote.
“Secretary Hegseth’s tweet is the first I heard of this. I also saw the President’s posts saying I should be arrested, hanged, and put to death,” Kelly continued.
“If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work. I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution,” Kelly added.
Hegseth on Monday called the six Democrats in the video the “Seditious Six” but explained why the probe is focused solely on Kelly.
“Five of the six individuals in that video do not fall under [Defense Department] jurisdiction (one is CIA and four are former military but not ‘retired’, so they are no longer subject to UCMJ). However, Mark Kelly (retired Navy Commander) is still subject to UCMJ — and he knows that,” Hegseth posted on X.
All military officers who have retired after 20 years of service are able to be recalled to active duty, and if they are determined to have engaged in misconduct, they are subject to military prosecution — potentially a court-martial.
Kelly served for 25 years in the Navy and at NASA, retiring in 2011.
The code referenced by the Defense Department could subject Kelly to an “administrative measure,” which could include a reduction in rank — and a reduction in his pension entitlement.
ABC News’ Luis Martinez and Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump will likely name his new $300 million ballroom after himself, according to senior administration officials.
Already, officials are referring to it as “The President Donald J. Trump Ballroom.” That name will likely stick, ABC News was told.
Trump has not publicly said what he intends to name the ballroom, but he is known for branding his construction projects after himself — and it appears this project will be no different.
When asked by ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce on Thursday if he has a name for his ballroom yet, Trump smiled and said: “I won’t get into that now.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
