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Donald Trump and his Republican allies seized on the New Orleans terrorist attacks as an opportunity to blame Joe Biden and make one final criticism of his policies in the final weeks of his presidency.
The incident, which killed at least 15 people, and the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, also fueled Republican rhetoric that crime is out of control and only Trump’s new National security teams and crackdowns on immigration will take care of that.
“With Biden’s ‘open borders policy,’ I have said many times during rallies and elsewhere that radical Islamic terrorism and other forms of violent crime will become so serious in the United States that it is difficult to imagine or believe. That moment has arrived, and it’s worse than imagined.
Trump and other Republicans initially claimed that the New Orleans attackers were immigrants from the southern border, but that was false. Suspect Shamsuddin al-Jabbar was inspired by the Islamic State terror group to carry out the attack and was killed during the attack, authorities said. Worked for financial services groups including Accenture and Deloitte.
On Thursday, the FBI said he acted alone. The agency also said it had not determined a link between the New Orleans attack and the Cybertruck bombing in Nevada that killed one person and injured seven others.
But Trump’s allies are still doubling down, claiming that Biden’s immigration policies — or immigration policies in general — are behind the violence, which is in line with Trump’s bid to defeat Vice President Kamala Harry in the 2024 U.S. presidential race. It echoes the attack route used at that time.
“Islamic terrorism is a big factor. It’s not ‘homegrown,'” Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller wrote on X . “It didn’t exist here before immigrants brought it here.
Trump’s border czar Tom Homan told Fox News that the United States has been “lax” on national security, fueling the arrogance of groups such as the “Islamic State”. “With President Trump coming into office, we’re going to secure our borders. We’re going to conduct deportations. We’re focusing and prioritizing public safety threats and national security threats.
Republicans close to Trump also sought to use the attack to inject momentum into their campaigns to ensure quick Senate confirmation of some of the president-elect’s top national security posts.
Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, and his nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel (Kash Patel) are both controversial picks who will face Senate confirmation struggles in the coming weeks.
“The U.S. Senate must confirm President Trump’s national security team as soon as possible.” John Barrasso, a Republican senator from Wyoming, wrote on X shortly after the Louisiana attack.
“That’s why it’s so important to have President Trump’s Cabinet on board,” Florida congressman Mike Walz, whom Trump appointed as national security adviser, told Fox News on Thursday. “Guys, this has to be put in place on day one because this is a fragile transition moment.”
Trump allies in U.S. federal law enforcement agencies also expressed deep skepticism anew after the New Orleans attack. Lawmakers close to the president-elect have criticized the FBI for focusing too much on “diversity, equity and inclusion” and their role in the Justice Department’s prosecution of Trump.
Georgia Republican Mike Collins questioned why Alethea Duncan, the FBI agent in charge of New Orleans, initially said the attack was not a “terrorist incident.” Iowa Republican Ashley Hinson called on FBI Director Christopher Wray and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to address the issue in Congress testify to the attack.
“The FBI needs to regain the trust of the American people. That means complete transparency and accountability throughout the entire investigative process. It also means eliminating DEI, waking up to distractions, and focusing on countering threats to protect Americans,” Hinson said. Four wrote on X.
Biden addressed the New Orleans attacks and the Camp David investigation on Wednesday and convened his homeland security team on Thursday to discuss the latest developments.
On Trump’s side, Walz has been in contact with Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan but said they don’t have high hopes for the outgoing administration.
“They’re trying to piece together the information. But we’re not going to wait to see what we just get from the White House. Everyone is putting out feelers so that we can keep President Trump as informed as possible,” he said.
