Ben Shapiro cautions Trump of challenges in addressing 'massive problem' of Islamic radicalization

Ben Shapiro emphasized that last weeks shooting of two National Guard soldiers underscores a more complex issue for President Donald Trump dealing with radicalized Muslims who become violent after arriving in the United States. According to Shapiro, this problem cannot be resolved solely by pausing immigration from Afghanistan or reassessing green card applicants.

On the latest episode of The Ben Shapiro Show on Monday, the commentator referenced remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over the weekend. During her appearance on Meet the Press, Noem noted that the alleged shooter, Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had been radicalized in the U.S., influenced by ties to the local Muslim community in Washington, where he had lived since 2021.

Shapiro argued that this creates a much more difficult challenge for Trump. Radicalization within the United States is a significant problem, he said. It requires the FBI and the Department of Justice to actively track down groups responsible for spreading extremist ideologies. This is a far more complex law enforcement issue than merely closing borders, which Trump is attempting to do.

Shapiro clarified that border control and addressing domestic radicalization are not mutually exclusive. The U.S. should regulate who enters the country, he stated. But if Noems assessment is accurate, last weeks D.C. shooting represents a pattern distinct from crimes by undocumented immigrants. This is about radical Islamic influence developing inside the country.

He highlighted past incidents involving radicalized Muslims, including the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, the 2016 Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando, and the recent New Orleans attack, linking the D.C. shooting to the same troubling trend.

Shapiro also noted the alarming nature of Lakanwals radicalization after coming to the U.S., given that he had undergone extensive vetting before joining a CIA Zero Unit. Lakanwal is the suspect responsible for killing Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old National Guard member, during the November 27 attack. Another soldier, 24-year-old Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, remains hospitalized in critical condition. Wolfe had entered the U.S. through the Biden administrations Operation Allies Welcome program, which resettled Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, and his asylum request had been approved in April under the Trump administration.

Following the shooting, Trump condemned the attacker as an animal and promised severe consequences. His administration also suspended all immigration requests from Afghanistan and ordered a full-scale review of green card holders from 19 countries of concern, including Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, and Venezuela.

Shapiro stressed that if individuals initially cooperative with the U.S. later become radicalized domestically, it raises serious questions about which organizations within the country are contributing to radicalization. This is a far more troubling challenge than simply restricting immigration from less assimilated cultures, he said.

Author: Sophia Brooks