Who is Ken Dilanian and what did he say? MS NOW journalist under fire for National Guard shooting comments

MS NOW host Ken Dilanian is getting criticized on social media after his on-air comments about last night’s National Guard shooting near the White House that left two Guardsmen with critical injuries in what was called a targeted ambush.

Dilanian made the suggestion during a live broadcast, suggesting that the attack might have been provoked by ongoing public relations chaos over uniformed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in U.S. cities, a link some have found outrageous and in poor taste.

BREAKING - Ken Dilanian justifies the shooting of two National Guardsmen in DC.

Dilanian: “There’s a lot of controversy right now with ICE, who are also wearing uniforms and masks. Some Americans might object to that, and apparently this shooting has happened.”

What a sick man pic.twitter.com/yNqhKzmJas

— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) November 26, 2025

The dispute has put a fresh spotlight on Ken Dilanian’s lengthy record in national security reporting. Dilanian, now a Justice and Intelligence Correspondent for MS NOW and NBC News, has over two decades of experience reporting on intelligence, foreign policy and national security matters.

His career has included stints at NBC News, the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times and USA Today, where he covered Congress, the State Department and U.S. intelligence agencies.

Though he has worked for a long time in the field, some viewers felt his comments were speculative and ill-timed in light of the nature of the attack and an apparent absence of confirmed information as to what triggered it. To date, MS NOW has not provided a public response to the backlash.

Known details about the shooting and Ken Dilanian's comments

The shooting took place at around 2:15 p.m. local time near the intersection of 17th and I Street, a few blocks from the White House, as per NY Post. The suspect, who appeared to be almost nude, approached two National Guardsmen on duty and opened fire, wounding both of them critically, including one who was believed to have been shot in the head, officials said.

Several other Guardsmen also became involved before the attacker was shot and captured. The gunman acted alone and was not cooperating, authorities said.

POS shooter..

And
Video showing the aftermath of the DC shooting.

All National Guard members deployed to cities MUST now be allowed to carry fully loaded weapons.

You might as well paint a target on them. 🔥

If this was targeted, we must change the rules of engagement.… pic.twitter.com/XvPzi1fIDL

— Alma Gentil (@Chinoy200096633) November 26, 2025

Ken Dilanian's remarks came as he was reporting the breaking news on MS NOW on Wednesday afternoon. Many viewers saw Dilanian likening public outrage over ICE to the terrorists’ lethal attack on National Guardsmen Sunday that ignited outrage on social media.

"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 remarked.

Following the attack, President Donald Trump directed 500 more National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., bringing the force’s presence in the capital to more than 2,500.