Trump asserts that New Orleans incident validates his crime rhetoric
The President-elect has pledged that his administration will "fully support the City of New Orleans."
TroibNews 
President-elect Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that a lethal assault on New Year’s Eve attendees in New Orleans, Louisiana underscores his grim view of crime in America. He vowed to “fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!”
“When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true,” Trump shared on social media. "Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones."
In response, President Joe Biden issued a statement indicating that the FBI is leading the federal investigation, classifying the incident as an act of terrorism.
“I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind,” Biden remarked. “There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation's communities.”
These comments followed tragic events on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, where a driver struck a crowd of pedestrians around 3 a.m. on New Year's Day, resulting in 10 fatalities and injuring 35 others.
During a press conference, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell referred to the occurrence as a “terrorist attack,” with the city’s police chief characterizing the action as deliberate.
As per the New Orleans Police Department, the driver halted the vehicle and began firing at local officers, who responded with gunfire. The driver was hit and declared dead at the scene.
Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed Wednesday morning that the FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism.
“The FBI, the ATF, the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and will deploy every available resource to conduct this investigation,” Garland noted.
The FBI named the suspect as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas. Officials stated that Jabbar was driving a Ford pickup truck displaying an ISIS flag, containing weapons and an improvised explosive device. The FBI is currently probing how Jabbar acquired the vehicle, which appears to have been rented, and whether he is linked to terrorist organizations.
Furthermore, the FBI indicated that additional potential IEDs were found in New Orleans' French Quarter, with their Special Agent Bomb Technicians investigating the viability of these devices.
In light of the situation, Louisiana officials announced the postponement of the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal between Georgia and Notre Dame, originally set for Wednesday night, by 24 hours. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency to mobilize federal, state, and local resources for safety.
At a press conference, Representative Troy Carter asserted that “all hands” are involved from the White House to local agencies in the investigation. He also noted ongoing communication with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and leaders in federal, local, and state agencies.
“The president has made it very clear that he intends to bring every resource to bear, to not only tell the truth, but to provide the resources to bring these cowards to justice,” Carter added.
Senator John Kennedy assured the public that details about the New Year’s Day attack would be revealed.
"You will find out what happened and who was responsible, or I will raise fresh hell,” Kennedy asserted. “I will chase those in the federal government who are responsible for telling us what happened like they stole Christmas."
The Pentagon confirmed that Jabbar served in the Army as a human resource and information specialist from March 2007 until January 2015, later becoming an IT specialist in the Army Reserve until 2020. He was deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010 and completed his military service as a staff sergeant.
The FBI's Houston office announced it was conducting related law enforcement activities in the northern part of the city concerning the attack.
“FBI Houston personnel and specialized teams will be on-site for several hours," the bureau communicated via social media. "This activity is related to this morning’s New Orleans attack, but due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, no further information can be provided.”
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
“When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true,” Trump shared on social media. "Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones."
In response, President Joe Biden issued a statement indicating that the FBI is leading the federal investigation, classifying the incident as an act of terrorism.
“I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind,” Biden remarked. “There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation's communities.”
These comments followed tragic events on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, where a driver struck a crowd of pedestrians around 3 a.m. on New Year's Day, resulting in 10 fatalities and injuring 35 others.
During a press conference, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell referred to the occurrence as a “terrorist attack,” with the city’s police chief characterizing the action as deliberate.
As per the New Orleans Police Department, the driver halted the vehicle and began firing at local officers, who responded with gunfire. The driver was hit and declared dead at the scene.
Attorney General Merrick Garland confirmed Wednesday morning that the FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism.
“The FBI, the ATF, the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and will deploy every available resource to conduct this investigation,” Garland noted.
The FBI named the suspect as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas. Officials stated that Jabbar was driving a Ford pickup truck displaying an ISIS flag, containing weapons and an improvised explosive device. The FBI is currently probing how Jabbar acquired the vehicle, which appears to have been rented, and whether he is linked to terrorist organizations.
Furthermore, the FBI indicated that additional potential IEDs were found in New Orleans' French Quarter, with their Special Agent Bomb Technicians investigating the viability of these devices.
In light of the situation, Louisiana officials announced the postponement of the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal between Georgia and Notre Dame, originally set for Wednesday night, by 24 hours. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency to mobilize federal, state, and local resources for safety.
At a press conference, Representative Troy Carter asserted that “all hands” are involved from the White House to local agencies in the investigation. He also noted ongoing communication with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and leaders in federal, local, and state agencies.
“The president has made it very clear that he intends to bring every resource to bear, to not only tell the truth, but to provide the resources to bring these cowards to justice,” Carter added.
Senator John Kennedy assured the public that details about the New Year’s Day attack would be revealed.
"You will find out what happened and who was responsible, or I will raise fresh hell,” Kennedy asserted. “I will chase those in the federal government who are responsible for telling us what happened like they stole Christmas."
The Pentagon confirmed that Jabbar served in the Army as a human resource and information specialist from March 2007 until January 2015, later becoming an IT specialist in the Army Reserve until 2020. He was deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010 and completed his military service as a staff sergeant.
The FBI's Houston office announced it was conducting related law enforcement activities in the northern part of the city concerning the attack.
“FBI Houston personnel and specialized teams will be on-site for several hours," the bureau communicated via social media. "This activity is related to this morning’s New Orleans attack, but due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, no further information can be provided.”
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
