By JONATHAN J. COOPER, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who survived a gunshot wound to the head while patrolling with the National Guard in Washington last year, was presented the Purple Heart medal during Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Trump honored Wolfe and his colleague, U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom during his speech, before pausing so Gen. James Seward, head of the West Virginia National Guard, could pin the medal on Wolfe’s civilian suit.
“With God’s help, Andrew has battled back from the edge of death—and we’re talking about the edge—on his way to a miraculous recovery,” Trump said.
“Nice to see you,” he added, looking up at Wolfe in the gallery.
West Virginia National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe is awarded a Purple Heart during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)Trump recalled his mother’s determination that he would recover, even as others doubted it would be possible to survive his severe injuries. She buried her head in her son’s chest as the president spoke.
Wolfe and Beckstrom, members of the West Virginia National Guard, were shot in an ambush on Nov. 26 while deployed to Washington as part of Trump’s executive order to battle what he said was rampant crime. Beckstrom died on Thanksgiving Day.
Evalea and Gary Beckstrom, the mother and father of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, receive a Purple Heart on behalf of their daughter during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, as West Virginia National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe watches at left. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)Trump also spoke directly to Beckstrom’s parents in the gallery.
“Your daughter was a true American patriot and she will be greatly missed,” Trump told Evalea and Gary Beckstrom.
The tributes prompted several minutes of bipartisan applause.
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Lakanwal, 29, entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, officials said. The Biden administration program evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country.
Trump, who halted asylum decisions in response to the shooting, said during his speech that the gunman “shouldn’t have been in our country.”
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