House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) criticized President Biden's response to homeland security after the deadly truck attack in New Orleans, saying he has not prioritized “the right thing.”
Johnson said he spoke with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) and the state's attorney general Liz Murrill (R), who he said are “doing a great job” on the ground. He said local officials are “doing the best they can,” but insisted that “our federal partners should do their jobs.”
“And I think it's very well-placed, even though there's some frustration, as clearly stated at the beginning of the program. You know, the Biden administration has been taking its eye off the ball for the last four years. So, in our view, they didn't prioritize what was right,” Johnson said Thursday during an appearance on FOX Business' “Kudlow.”
“The FBI is going to focus on investigations, look at conservative Catholics and concerned parents at school board meetings, do all sorts of other chores, and try to convince us “The threat to the homeland was racially motivated extremism,” he added. “When we all looked at wide open borders and logically thought that could lead to terrorist attacks in the future.”
Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, is the suspect in the New Year's Day truck rampage in New Orleans that killed at least 14 people and injured dozens more. Mr. Jabbar crashed his Ford pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street and was later shot and killed by police. He is a US citizen from Texas and served in the Army from 2007 to 2020.
Police said they later discovered ISIS flags and social media posts sympathetic to the U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
Johnson made similar remarks on Fox News earlier Thursday, criticizing the Biden administration's handling of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Johnson said during an appearance on Fox Business that “drastic changes” are needed.
“This re-emphasizes why this election was so important to the country, and bringing President Trump here so quickly, with 18 days left until his inauguration and the inauguration of his Cabinet.” We need all these people that he selected to take control of these agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Justice, and immediately I’m going to get to work,” he told Larry Kudrow.
