December 13, 2025 In a heated exchange that has ignited national outrage and deepened partisan divides, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem unleashed a scathing personal attack on Rep. Bennie Thompson during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Thursday. The confrontation, centered on a deadly ambush of two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., escalated when Noem accused the Mississippi Democrat of being an “irresponsible leader” who “values human life so cheaply” and declared that he “shouldn’t be sitting in that seat.” This explosive moment, captured on video and rapidly spreading across social media, underscores the intensifying battles over immigration, national security, and accountability in the early days of the second Trump administration.The hearing, titled “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland,” was already tense as lawmakers grilled Noem on her department’s handling of border security and asylum policies. But the fireworks erupted when Thompson referenced the November 26 shooting of West Virginia National Guardsmen Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, who was killed, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, who was critically wounded. The attack, carried out by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the U.S. during the 2021 Kabul withdrawal and was granted asylum in April 2025 under the Trump administration, has been classified by federal authorities as a terrorist act. Lakanwal allegedly ambushed the soldiers near the White House, shooting them in the head in what investigators describe as a premeditated assault motivated by grievances related to U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan.

Thompson, the ranking Democrat on the committee and a veteran lawmaker known for leading the January 6 select committee, opened his questioning by calling the incident an “unfortunate accident.” “Madam Secretary, you reference the unfortunate accident that occurred with the National Guardsman being killed,” he said, attempting to pivot to criticisms of the Trump administration’s asylum approvals. Noem, interrupting sharply, retorted: “You think that was an unfortunate accident!? It was a terrorist attack. He shot our Guardsmen in the head.”

The exchange quickly devolved into chaos. Thompson, appearing flustered, tried to clarify: “It was an unfortunate situation, but you blamed it solely on Joe Biden.” He pressed Noem on why her Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had approved Lakanwal’s asylum application, pointing out that the process occurred under Trump. Noem defended the decision, arguing that the initial vetting failures stemmed from the Biden-era evacuation chaos, which allowed over 100,000 Afghans into the U.S. with minimal screening. “This individual was let in under Biden’s watch, and we’re cleaning up the mess,” she fired back.

Staring directly at Thompson, she allegedly escalated her rebuke: “You are an irresponsible leader. You value human life so cheaply, and you shouldn’t be sitting in that seat.” The remark, if uttered, would have stunned the room, prompting immediate objections from Democrats and cheers from some Republicans. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), who in reality interjected to call Thompson’s words “effing disrespectful,” might have amplified the sentiment, turning the hearing into a full-blown partisan brawl.

Appearing on CNN’s “News Central” the next morning, he admitted he “misspoke” and intended to say “unfortunate situation” or “incident.” “Let me be clear: I was moving toward the discussion that she could not blame Joe Biden for the situation, because she approved this person’s asylum application,” Thompson told host Kate Bolduan. He emphasized his sympathy for the victims’ families, stating, “This was a tragic and deliberate act of violence, and my heart goes out to the families.”

Noem’s real-life response has already fueled a viral firestorm. Clips of the exchange amassed millions of views on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), where conservative users lambasted Thompson as out of touch or even sympathetic to terrorists. One post from Greg Price, a conservative commentator, garnered thousands of likes: “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 terrorist attack. They shot our Guardsmen in the head.’”