Martina Navratilova Calls Donald Trump the “Greatest National Security Risk” After White House Shooting
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has never been one to mince words, especially when it comes to politics. So, when former President Donald Trump made some… let’s call them characteristic remarks following a tragic shooting near the White House, it was only a matter of time before Navratilova fired back a volley of her own. And frankly, it’s the kind of spicy political drama we live for.
What Happened in Washington?
First, let’s set the stage. On Wednesday, November 26, two National Guard soldiers were shot in an ambush near the White House. The attack, which authorities are investigating as an act of terrorism, was carried out by an Afghan national named Rahmanullah Lakanwal. One of the soldiers, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, tragically died from her injuries, while the other, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, was left in critical condition. It was a horrific event, made even more somber by its proximity to the Thanksgiving holiday.
As details emerged, it was revealed that Lakanwal had entered the U.S. in 2021 as part of a resettlement program for Afghans who had worked with the U.S. government. Specifically, he was part of a CIA-backed unit. In a plot twist that would feel too on-the-nose for a political thriller, Lakanwal was actually granted asylum in April of this year, three months after Trump took office.
Predictably, Trump didn’t let a few inconvenient facts get in the way of a good soundbite. He immediately went on the offensive, blaming the previous Biden administration for its “immigrant-friendly approach” and claiming, without evidence, that 20 million “unknown and unvetted foreigners” had entered the country. In a Thanksgiving call to military members, he referred to the attacker as a “savage monster” and painted the incident as a catastrophic failure of national security under his predecessor.
Navratilova Serves a Scathing Response
This is where our favorite politically-outspoken tennis icon, Martina Navratilova, enters the chat. Seeing an article about Trump’s comments, she took to X (formerly Twitter), a platform she uses with the precision of a well-placed backhand, to offer her own take on the situation.
In a concise but blistering post, Navratilova declared, “Our greatest national security risk is Trump himself, with Hegseth right behind him.” Pete Hegseth, for those not keeping score at home, is Trump’s Secretary of War. Ouch. No holding back there. She essentially pointed the finger right back at the administration, suggesting the real threat isn’t lurking at the border, but sitting in the Oval Office.
This wasn’t a one-off comment, either. Navratilova had already condemned the shooting itself, calling it “awful” in a previous post. Her criticism of Trump is a long-standing and well-documented affair. She’s a vocal opponent of his policies, particularly those concerning immigrants. Having fled Czechoslovakia in the 1970s to become a U.S. citizen, her perspective is deeply personal. She has stated before that she likely wouldn’t have sought refuge in the U.S. if someone with Trump’s views had been president at the time.
In another jab from last year, she called out Trump for a prisoner-swap deal that resulted in the release of a convicted triple-homicide convict. After MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow questioned how the man was living freely, Navratilova amplified the criticism, tweeting, “And trump let this convicted killer free…”
So, while the political world spins and pundits debate immigration policies, Navratilova continues to do what she does best: call it like she sees it, with zero filter and a healthy dose of sarcasm. Whether you agree with her or not, you have to admit—it’s far more entertaining than your average political commentary.
