Trump: National Guard member shows signs of recovery after shooting

Two weeks after a shooting that left one National Guard member dead near the White House, the surviving guardsman is showing signs of recovery, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.
Speaking in Mount Pocono in the US state of Pennsylvania, Trump said the man's mother had called to tell him her son had managed to get out of bed. "He didn't speak," Trump added, noting the guardsman had been hit in the head and was not yet able to talk.

Trump also reaffirmed that the Afghan-born suspect faces the death penalty. The 29-year-old was shot and subdued at the scene. According to Trump, doctors fought to save his life so that he could later face the death penalty.

Trump had earlier described the attack as "an act of terror."

The shooting, which occurred in late November just a few blocks from the White House, killed a young female National Guard member from West Virginia. Before the woman's death, US Attorney General Pam Bondi had said she would seek the death penalty if anyone were to die.

US media reported the suspect entered the country in 2021 and was granted asylum only in 2025 during Trump's administration.

Following the attack, the US administration tightened its immigration stance, suspending all asylum decisions temporarily. The State Department also announced a halt on issuing visas to holders of Afghan passports.