Republicans and conservative voices blasted what they called Democrats’ “vile,” “dangerous,” and “reckless” rhetoric toward the National Guard, arguing that days of escalating attacks from leading Democrats have “put a target on the backs of every person in uniform” and created real-world danger for service members — pointing to Wednesday’s shooting of two Guardsmen near the White House as the latest consequence.
Three people were shot — including two members of the West Virginia National Guard — near the Farragut West Metro station in downtown Washington, DC, on Wednesday afternoon, prompting a lockdown at the White House and the adjacent Treasury Department.
The Joint Task Force DC said the attack occurred “in the vicinity of the White House,” as video from the scene showed the 1700 block of Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest cordoned off with yellow tape and emergency personnel rushing to assist the wounded.
President Donald Trump wrote that the “animal” who carried out the shooting was “severely wounded” after exchanging fire and would “pay a very steep price,” while War Secretary Pete Hegseth called the attack “cowardly” and vowed it would “only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington, D.C., safe and beautiful.”
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) initially wrote that the Guardsmen had succumbed to their injuries before later clarifying that early reporting was conflicting, promising updates as more information becomes available. “Our prayers are with these brave service members, their families, and the entire Guard community,” he added.
The shooting came less than a week after six Democrat lawmakers — Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Jason Crow (D-CO), and Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) — appeared in a video telling service members to “refuse illegal orders” from the Trump administration.
The War Department has since launched an investigation into Kelly that could lead to his recall to active duty for possible court-martial. The FBI has also sought to interview the six lawmakers, according to officials familiar with the inquiry.
Trump denounced the group as the “Seditious Six,” insisting that “SEDITION IS A MAJOR CRIME,” while Hegseth condemned the video as “despicable, reckless, and false,” arguing that it “undermines every aspect of good order and discipline.”
Against that backdrop, Republicans and conservative figures flooded X on Wednesday to argue that Democrats’ weeks-long campaign to depict Guardsmen as “Trump’s Gestapo” following “illegal orders” has now put American troops directly in harm’s way.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) said that “demonizing or vilifying law enforcement has consequences” and urged Americans, “If you see a service member, police officer, or a first responder this week, please thank them for putting their lives on the line to protect us. God bless.”
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) warned bluntly, “As the Democrats promote violence towards our Military and the left idolizes them we can expect more killing.”
Michael Whatley — former head of the Republican National Committee and now a U.S. Senate candidate in North Carolina — called it “hard to imagine this is anything but a direct result of the insane rhetoric of the last few days from leading Democrats,” charging that “their words have put our men and women in uniform directly in harms way.” He insisted the American people “owe their gratitude to these heroes” rather than “the scorn that has been heaped on them by Democrats trying to score political points by fighting harder for criminals than the American people.”
Former House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Rogers, now a Republican Senate candidate in Michigan, singled out Slotkin and her colleagues in his own state.
“Slotkin and the Democrats fearmongered about having guardsmen patrol and protect our cities. Now, our military heroes are being gunned down on the streets. That’s not a coincidence,” Rogers wrote. “Democrats need to quit pretending that their reckless words and actions don’t have consequences. If they don’t knock off this villianization of our military and law enforcement heroes immediately, more people can, and will, get hurt.”
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) called the developments a “horribly sad announcement,” urging Americans to “pray for the victims and their families, and pray that the assaults and the incitement of violence against the finest among us — those serving in the military and law enforcement — come to an immediate end.”
Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) said he and his staff were “heartbroken to learn of the passing of two brave National Guardsmen,” reaffirming “unwavering support for our troops” and calling for “an immediate de-escalation of the dangerous anti-law enforcement rhetoric that is tearing our nation apart.”
Other conservative voices were even more direct in tying the D.C. shooting to Democrats’ recent language about the Guard, the military, and law enforcement.
Newsmax host Todd Starnes wrote, “BULLETIN: 2 National Guardsmen shot in DC. I blame the Democrats. Their rhetoric has placed a target on the backs of every person in uniform in this nation. The DNC has blood on their hands …”
Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz charged, “For months, Democrats have relentlessly vilified our heroic National Guardsmen for simply doing their jobs and making our communities safer. Now they are getting gunned down by radical lunatics. More blood on the Democrats’ hands!”
Conservative activist and Students for Trump co-founder Ryan Fournier tied the attack explicitly to the “Seditious Six” video.
“Just days ago, six Democrats were out here claiming President Trump’s military orders were ‘unlawful’ and that troops should resist,” Fournier wrote. “Now two National Guard members have reportedly been targeted and shot in Washington, D.C. This is exactly the kind of reckless rhetoric that gets people hurt.”
Author and columnist Ann Coulter underscored that point, sharing the clip and writing, “KEY POINT: ‘This attack comes just days after six prominent Senate and House Democrats ambiguously claimed in a video President Trump was forcing the military to break the law.’”
Actor James Woods told followers he had “just heard the tragic and infuriating news that our two National Guard troops who were ruthlessly attacked in our nation’s capitol have succumbed to their injuries.” He added, “The vile Democrats’ violent rhetoric has finally taken its horrific toll.”
The “Catturd” account, a popular conservative commentator, accused Democrats of having “put a target on all of our military member’s backs,” declaring, “They’re traitors and evil,” and pointing specifically to the “seditious six.”
Rogan O’Handley, the conservative attorney and commentator known as “DC Draino,” argued, “It’s time to throw the book at the Seditious Six.”
Libs of TikTok, a major conservative X account, focused on Slotkin, writing, “Elissa Slotkin (D), one of the seditious six, suggested a few days ago that the national guard will start randomly shooting at Americans. She knew this was a lie yet said it anyway. Now two national guardsmen were shot. She knew what she was doing.”
Andy Ngo, journalist and editor-at-large for the Post Millennial, summarized the climate around the attack: “Two National Guard members shot near the White House have died. One was shot in the head. A suspect is in custody. The shooting occurred in the context of leftists and Democrats demonizing troops as ‘Trump’s Gestapo’ who are following ‘illegal orders.’”
Conservative communicator Steve Guest predicted that Democrats would try to shift blame away from their own rhetoric.
“PREDICTION: Democrats and their allies in the media are going to blame President Trump and West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey for the deaths of these two National Guard soldiers instead of the killer,” he wrote. “REMINDER: For months, elected Democrats (who should know better) have been conditioning hate at the National Guard. It’s sick and wrong.”
In a separate post, Guest warned that “Democrats from Elissa Slotkin to Gavin Newsom need to watch their dangerous rhetoric,” recalling that “Last month, Gavin Newsom said that National Guard troops in cities were ‘right out of the dictator’s handbook.’”
Blake Neff, a producer for The Charlie Kirk Show, likewise pointed back to Newsom’s language. “One month ago, Gavin Newsom said National Guard troops in cities were part of Trump’s bid to make himself a ‘dictator,’” Neff wrote. “Did today’s shooter take Newsom’s words literally?”
The official Trump rapid response account seized on on-air comments from MSNBC’s Ken Dilanian, who, while covering the breaking news, mused that “there are some Americans that might object” to “people walking around with uniforms in an American city.”
“.@KDilanianMSNOW, two heroes were just shot protecting our nation’s capital — and this is your takeaway?” the account wrote. “Democrats have relentlessly demonized these Patriots, calling them ‘illegal’ and even suggesting THEY might start shooting Americans. Get help. You are beyond sick.”
Arizona conservative Blake Masters — a Trump-aligned Republican and former Senate and House candidate — directly confronted Kelly after the Arizona Democrat posted that he was “thinking of the families” of the two Guardsmen and thanking first responders.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have made a video falsely implying that the President is giving unlawful orders to the military (he’s not) and encouraging people to resist,” Masters shot back, referring to Kelly’s starring role in the “illegal orders” video now under Pentagon review.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
