In the wake of an unthinkable tragedy—the fatal shooting of Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and the critical wounding of Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe—while defending the streets of Washington, D.C., the liberal media proved once again that it holds no respect for American sacrifice. As grieving father Gary Beckstrom mourned his daughter with the heartbreaking words, “My baby girl has passed to glory… This has been a horrible tragedy,” The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer chose not to honor the fallen but instead to mock her service.
Mayer, the magazine’s chief Washington correspondent, callously dismissed the National Guard’s critical mission in the nation’s capital, writing: “I live in DC and watched as they had virtually nothing to do but pick up trash. It was a political show and at what a cost.” Her words dripped with contempt for the very heroes standing between chaos and order in a city once drowning in violent crime.
The White House responded with righteous fury. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung fired back on X: “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. Not like you had any to begin with.”
Jane, respectfully, shut the fuck 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. Not like you had any to begin with. https://t.co/DzVX7Adg96
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) November 27, 2025
The White House’s rapid response account added even sharper condemnation: “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.”
This wasn’t just rhetoric—it was rooted in measurable results. Since President Donald Trump federalized the Metropolitan Police and deployed the National Guard in August 2025 to “re-establish law, order, and public safety,” Washington, D.C., has experienced a dramatic turnaround. Violent crime plummeted by 44% in the first three weeks alone compared to the previous year. By November, overall crime had dropped 27% year-over-year, saving over $450 million and, more importantly, dozens of lives.
Critics across the political spectrum stood with the Guard. Georgia Rep. Mike Collins demanded Mayer “Apologize and repent.” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier condemned the Left’s victim-blaming: “All these sick people on the Left do is blame the victims. I’m thankful for our guardsmen and praying for them and their families.”
When confronted with data proving the Guard’s lifesaving impact, Mayer doubled down with arrogance, telling critics: “I’ve covered crime in Washington since 1981—let’s skip the mansplaining.
They are working overtime to convince you that this Muslim shouted Allahu Akbar and shot 2 members of the National Guard because he’s “mentally ill” as opposed to carrying out his Quranic duty as a Muslim.
Nobody is buying this coverup for Mr. Aloha Snackbar. We know the motive. pic.twitter.com/TCZ7ponLH3
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) December 1, 2025
You can play with the stats but homicides were dropping before the troops got here.” But facts don’t lie—and neither do the families of those now alive because of President Trump’s decisive action.