Donald Trump takes benefit of the New Orleans assault to advance his safety and border agenda

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Donald Trump and his Republican allies took benefit of the terrorist assault in New Orleans to shift the blame to Joe Biden and launch a last salvo of criticism of his insurance policies within the last weeks of his presidency.

The incident, throughout which a minimum of 15 people diedand the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck exterior a Trump resort in Las Vegas additionally fueled Republican narratives that crime is spiraling uncontrolled — and solely Trump’s new nationwide safety workforce and immigration crackdown can repair it .

“With Biden’s ‘open borders coverage,’ I’ve repeatedly mentioned at rallies and elsewhere that radical Islamic terrorism and different types of violent crime will turn out to be so extreme in America that it’s going to turn out to be tough to think about it or consider it. That second has come, however worse than ever imagined. Asset wrote on Fact Social Thursday morning.

Trump and others Republicans initially claimed – falsely – that the New Orleans attacker was an immigrant from throughout the southern border. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who suspicious authorities say was impressed by the Isis terrorist group to hold out the assault and who was killed throughout it, was a 42-year-old US Military veteran from Texas who had labored for monetary companies teams, together with Accenture. and Deloitte.

On Thursday, the FBI mentioned he acted alone. The company additionally mentioned it had not established any connection between the New Orleans assault and the Cybertruck explosion in Nevada, which killed one particular person and injured seven others.

However Trump allies continued to claim that Biden’s immigration insurance policies — or immigration generally — had been behind the violence, echoing strains of assault that Trump deployed to defeat the vice-president. President Kamala Harris within the 2024 US presidential race.

“Islamist terrorism is an import. It isn’t “native,” Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller wrote on X. “It did not exist right here earlier than migration introduced it right here.” »

Trump’s border czar Tom Homan instructed Fox Information america has been “lax” on nationwide safety, emboldening teams corresponding to Isis. “President Trump goes to take workplace and we’re going to safe this border. We’re going to perform an eviction operation. We focus and prioritize public security threats and nationwide safety threats.

Republicans near Trump are additionally attempting to capitalize on the assault to construct momentum for his or her marketing campaign to win fast Senate affirmation for among the president-elect’s high nationwide safety posts.

Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choose to be secretary of protection, Tulsi Gabbard, his choose to be director of nationwide intelligence, and Kash Patel, his nominee to move the FBI, are all controversial picks who must battle to get the job carried out. Senate approval within the coming weeks.

“The US Senate should verify President Trump’s nationwide safety workforce as rapidly as doable. Lives rely upon it,” John Barrasso, a Republican senator from Wyoming, wrote on X shortly after the assault in Louisiana.

“That is why it is so necessary to affix President Trump’s Cupboard,” Mike Waltz, the Florida congressman chosen by Trump to turn out to be his nationwide safety adviser, instructed Fox Information on Thursday. “This must be in place from day one, guys, as a result of it’s a time of transition, of vulnerability.”

Trump allies’ deep skepticism of U.S. federal legislation enforcement additionally resurfaced after the New Orleans assault. Lawmakers near the president-elect have criticized the FBI for putting an excessive amount of emphasis on “range, fairness and inclusion” and for its position within the Justice Division’s prosecution of Trump.

Mike Collins, a Georgia Republican, questioned why Alethea Duncan, the FBI particular agent in control of New Orleans, initially mentioned the assault was not a “terrorist occasion.” Iowa Republican Ashley Hinson known as FBI Director Christopher Wray and Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to testify in regards to the assault in Congress.

“The FBI should regain the belief of the American individuals. This implies TOTAL transparency and accountability all through this investigation. It additionally means eliminating DEI and waking distractions and focusing solely on countering threats to guard Individuals,” Hinson wrote on X on Thursday.

Biden spoke Wednesday in regards to the New Orleans assault and the investigation at Camp David, and convened his homeland safety workforce to debate the most recent developments Thursday.

On the Trump facet, Waltz has been in touch with Jake Sullivan, Biden’s nationwide safety adviser, however mentioned he would not have a lot religion within the outgoing administration.

“They’re attempting to collect info. However we do not count on what we get from the White Home. Everyone seems to be tuned in so we preserve President Trump as knowledgeable as doable,” he mentioned.