DHS Secretary Kristi Noem refused to acknowledge the truth that the Trump administration approved the asylum application for Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man charged with killing one National Guard soldier and seriously injuring a second in Washington, DC.
Noem repeatedly blamed the Biden administration for allowing the former Afghanistan fighter who served under the CIA for not vetting him properly. But Rep. Benny Thompson refused to let the puppy killer lie her way out of it.
The back and forth began here:
THOMPSON: I want to know who approved the asylum application for this same person?
NOEM: Mr. Thompson, this individual came into the country.
THOMPSON: No, I want to know who approved it.
NOEM: Congressman Thompson, I want you to understand, when this individual came into the country, he came under the evacuation of Afghanistan under Operation Allies Welcome, was thoroughly vetted by the Biden administration at that point in time, allowed into our country, and then was never followed up.
NPR reports that Lakanwal “received asylum protection from the Trump administration in April of this year, nearly four years after coming to the U.S.”
Noem and Kash Patel continually claim he wasn’t “vetted properly” under Biden, but offer no proof to back up their claims.
The DHS Secretary continued to obfuscate. Her lies were so blatant that Rep. Thompson threatened perjury charges.
THOMPSON: So the Biden administration approved the asylum.
NOEM: The asylum application was put into place under the rules established by the Biden administration.
THOMPSON: Reclaiming my time. I don’t want to charge our perjury charges against you, but I’m of the opinion that the Trump administration, DHS, your DHS, approved the asylum application.
NOEM: The asylum application moved forward under all of the information and vetting processes that were put in place under the Biden administration, which is when vetting happened, and that’s what President Trump has changed.
THOMPSON: It’s obvious you don’t want to answer the question.
It’s never Trump’s fault.
The Trump administration failed to do any due diligence on the asylum application and Noem’s refusal to say that is clear to everyone.
THOMPSON: You blamed the shooting of Guardsmen solely on Joe Biden. Who approved the asylum for this same person?
KRISTI NOEM: This individual that came in—
THOMPSON: No. I want to know who approved—-
NOEM: *keeps talking over Thompson*
T: I don’t want to file perjury… pic.twitter.com/mRX4sqiUcF
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 11, 2025
