New Yorker writer called out for response to National Guard shooting

New Yorker writer Jane Mayer was criticized for her response to the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC on Wednesday, suggesting that the blame for the tragedy lay with them Trump administration.

“This is so tragic, so unnecessary, that these poor guardsmen should never have been deployed. I live in DC and watched as they had virtually nothing to do other than pick up trash. It was for a political show and at what cost,” Mayer said in a post for X.

It was Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan citizen identified as the shooter accused of shooting the two National Guard members just blocks from the White House the day before Thanksgiving, law enforcement sources told Fox News Digital.

Trump White House Communications Director Steven Cheung replied to Mayer’s post, saying, “Jane, with all due respect, shut up because you tried to politicize this tragedy. You were protecting DC and trying to make the nation’s capital safer. People like you who engage in creepy behavior lose all credibility. Not that you had any to begin with.”

The White House criticizes the MS Now correspondent’s “beyond sick” response to the shooting of National Guardsmen in Washington DC

The government’s rapid response account on X criticized Mayer, calling the journalist a “disgusting ghoul.”

Ben Williamson, the FBI’s deputy director of public affairs, also condemned Mayer’s response.

“If you sat down and tried to come up with a nefarious answer, it would be nearly impossible to reach this level. Two guardsmen fired in broad daylight and you not only blame their actions, but then lie to denigrate and downplay their successful service. Delete your account,” he wrote.

Two National Guardsmen were critically wounded in “targeted shooting” outside the White House

Mayer also responded to a post that pointed out the number of murders in D.C. this year compared to last year’s number, accusing the person of “mansplaining.”

“I’ve been covering crime in Washington since 1981 – let’s skip the mansplaining. You can play with the stats, but murders were going down before the troops got here,” Mayer wrote.

Mayer responded to another post, saying, “That’s it.” [a] Tragedy. I’m sorry that this is so difficult for some people to understand. My condolences go out to the families of the victims.”

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier suggested Mayer was blaming the victims before adding, “I am grateful to our Guardsmen and pray for them and their families as they continue to protect the peace.”

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“You were shot in an ambush attack and your conclusion is that DC was otherwise so safe that they didn’t have to do anything other than pick up trash?” another wrote.

The New Yorker did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

MS NOW correspondent Ken Dilanian was also taken to task by the White House over his response to the shooting.

“Of course, you know, there’s so much controversy in the United States right now with ICE also wearing uniforms and masks,” Dilanian told MS NOW’s Katy Tur on Wednesday. “And so there are – you don’t know – people walking around in an American city in uniforms. There are some Americans who may object to that. And that’s apparently how this shooting happened.”

“@KDilanianMSNOW, two heroes were just shot protecting our nation’s capital – and that’s your conclusion?” The White House rapid response team wrote on

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