MS NOW’s Ken Dilanian on DC Shooting: Some Americans ‘Might Object’ to People With Uniforms In Cities

MS NOW’s Ken Dilanian said the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday happened amid a political atmosphere in which there are “some Americans that might object” to “people walking around with uniforms” in their cities.

Dilanian, during an appearance on Katy Tur Reports at 3:00 p.m. ET, described what the atmosphere has been like in Washington since the National Guard deployment.

“People have sort of gotten used to seeing uniformed National Guard members on the streets,” Dilanian said. “Initially, it was very controversial. But then, remember, the mayor sort of decided not to fight it and go along with it. Although the Attorney General of Washington sued to stop this deployment and got a favorable ruling five days ago from a federal judge ordering the Trump administration to actually withdraw the troops. But that hasn’t happened, and it’s sort of people have just gone on with life.”

The MS NOW correspondent then added:

Of course, you know, there’s so much controversy happening in the United States right now with ICE, who are also wearing uniforms and wearing masks. And so there’s, you don’t know, people walking around with uniforms in an American city. There are some Americans that might object to that. And so apparently this shooting has happened.

He pointed out, a moment earlier, that troops have been in the nation’s capital for the last few months after President Donald Trump deployed them to combat crime. Initially, it was “very controversial,” he said, but they have since “become part of the firmament.” Oddly, an MS NOW graphic briefly interrupted Dilanian as he was speaking.

Dilanian is MS NOW’s justice and intelligence correspondent.

News on the conditions of the two critically injured guardsmen is continuing to come in.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey (R) posted on X that the two troops were killed — but then retracted that statement 22 minutes later, saying he was “receiving conflicting reports” on their condition.

CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang reported it was an “ambush attack,” according to two federal law enforcement sources.

President Donald Trump, about 30 minutes after the troops were shot, posted that the “animal” who shot them “will pay a very steep price.” The suspected shooter is in custody, and the president said he was “severely wounded.”

Fox News Washington correspondent Mark Meredith, who reported live from the scene, said it was “pure chaos,” with cops, troops, and firemen both patrolling and securing the area.

Meredith reported he saw four troops “standing in disbelief, trying to understand what happened to two of their colleagues.”

Watch Dilanian report on the shooting above, via MS NOW.