US President Donald Trump condemned the shooting of two National Guard members Wednesday in Washington, DC, calling it "an act of terror."

"This heinous assault was an act of evil and act of hatred and an act of terror. It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity," Trump said in a video message from the state of Florida.

His remarks came after two members of the National Guard were shot in what he called "a monstrous, ambush-style attack" in the nation’s capital near the White House. They remain in critical condition.

Trump said the suspect in the shooting entered the US from Afghanistan in 2021, vowing "to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price."

"I can report tonight that, based on the best available information, the Department of Homeland Security is confident that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on earth. He was flown in by the Biden administration in September 2021," he said.

Earlier, US media, citing law enforcement sources, reported that the suspect has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal and is now in custody.

"We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under (former President Joe) Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country," Trump said.

Trump also said that he directed the Pentagon to mobilize an additional 500 troops to help protect Washington, DC.

"We will make America totally safe again, and we will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice," he added. (AA)

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