Donald Trump used the deadly New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans to bolster his fearmongering about “criminals” crossing into the U.S. from abroad and did not correct that assertion after the suspect was identified as a U.S. citizen from Texas.
“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,” the president-elect posted on Truth Social Monday morning.
“The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before. Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department.”
He said his incoming administration would “fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!”
Fox News had reported minutes prior to Trump’s Truth Social post that the vehicle used by the suspect had crossed into Eagle Pass, Texas, from Mexico two days before the attack.
Just over an hour later, the conservative network retracted that reporting, saying its sources had advised that the truck crossed the border on Nov. 16 apparently driven by someone else. Later in the afternoon, it reported that the truck never crossed over from Mexico.
The suspect was identified in the early afternoon by the FBI as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. Army veteran from Texas. It said he drove a rented truck. Jabbar said in a 2020 YouTube video about himself that he was born in Beaumont, Texas, according to CNN.
The suspect drove the vehicle into a crowded Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more. He died after exchanging gunfire with police.
Trump has not offered any correction to his statement, and has since made an additional post attacking “OPEN BORDERS” and accusing U.S. law enforcement of spending “all of their waking hours unlawfully attacking their political opponent, ME, rather than focusing on protecting Americans from the outside and inside violent SCUM that has infiltrated all aspects of our government, and our Nation itself.”
He posted overnight, “TRUMP WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!”
Trump’s transition team did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment.
Trump was not the only Republican to use the attack to stoke division and fear about undocumented immigration, a central tenet of his election campaign.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) wrote, “After the horrific attack in New Orleans, Alejandro Mayorkas needs to be called to testify before the Senate immediately – BEFORE Biden leaves office. ACCOUNTABILITY,” referring to the Homeland Security secretary, whom Republicans unsuccessfully tried to impeach over border issues.
Hawley cited “news reports” that the truck “may have recently crossed into the U.S. from Mexico” in a letter shared in a second post calling for Mayorkas to testify.
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Vice President-elect JD Vance shared Trump’s statement on X, condemning the “heartbreaking violence.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) amplified Fox News’ initial inaccurate report about the truck, writing, “Shut the border down!!!”
None of them acknowledged the man’s citizenship in subsequent posts after it was released.