The White House social media team has launched an extraordinary attack on veteran journalist Jane Mayer, calling The New Yorker staff writer a "sick, disgusting ghoul" after she questioned the deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, DC.
Explosive Social Media Exchange
The controversy erupted following Wednesday's shooting that left two National Guard members critically wounded. Mayer responded to initial reports from CNN's Kaitlan Collins by writing on X: "This is so tragic, so unnecessary, these poor guardsmen should never have been deployed."
The Pulitzer Prize-finalist went on to question the Trump administration's motives, describing the deployment as a "political show" and adding: "I live in DC and watched as they had virtually nothing to do but pick up trash."
White House Fury Unleashed
The White House's 'Rapid Response 47' team didn't hold back in their reaction, posting: "You sick, disgusting ghoul. Two of these heroes were just SHOT IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. The Guard has saved countless lives - backed up by evidence (which you're clearly too stupid to notice). They are American Patriots."
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung joined the criticism, writing: "Jane, respectfully, shut the f**k up for trying to politicize this tragedy. They were protecting DC and trying to make the nation's capital safer. People like you who engage in ghoulish behavior lose all credibility."
Shooting Details and Aftermath
The FBI confirmed that two soldiers, identified as Andrew Wolfe, 24, and Sarah Backstrom, 20, are being treated at a local hospital after being critically wounded in the attack. The incident occurred around 2:15pm ET just 800 yards from the White House.
Authorities have taken 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal into custody following a shootout with officials. Lakanwal entered the US in 2021 under a Biden-era immigration program for Afghans who fled after the Taliban takeover. The motive remains unclear.
The targeted attack has sparked broader debate about security deployments in the capital, with several other commentators criticising Mayer's stance. Steven Law, former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, argued: "Only Jane Mayer would blame the deployment instead of the crazed killer who pulled the trigger."
Both injured Guard members were from West Virginia, highlighting the national scope of military deployments in the capital city.
