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OAN Staff Abril Elfi
9:35 PM – Tuesday, February 24, 2026
President Donald Trump presented the Purple Heart to Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe and the late West Virginia Army National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom.
On Tuesday, during the State of the Union address, Trump recognized Wolfe and Beckstrom, the two National Guard members shot near D.C.’s Farragut Square in November of 2025.
Beckstrom was just 20 years old when she died from her injuries the day after the shooting in late November. Wolfe underwent emergency surgery for a head wound immediately after he was shot and was listed in critical condition before being transferred to a rehabilitation facility. By December, he was able to walk again with assistance.
During his remarks, Trump referred to Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan national accused in the shooting, as a “terrorist monster” who “purposely and with deliberate, premeditated malice” shot the West Virginia National Guard members.
Beckstrom’s parents stood as the president honored their daughter, describing her as a “true American patriot,” drawing applause from the chamber.
“We love you all. Love you,” he said to Sgt. Wolfe and the family of Beckstrom.
Trump then invited West Virginia Adjutant General Jim Seward to present the Purple Heart to Wolfe.
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