The Senate must confirm President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees quickly after the likely terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early New Year’s Day, Senator-elect Bernie Moreno (R-OH) said on Wednesday.
“After what appears to potentially be an ISIS inspired terrorist attack last night in New Orleans, it’s even more vital that we quickly confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” Moreno said, stressing that “every single national security nominee should be confirmed & ready to protect America by January 20th” — the day Trump is sworn in for his second term.
Moreno has emerged as one of Trump’s most ardent defenders and has made it clear that the American people have given Trump a mandate.
“So there’s a clear mandate—and unlike 2016, people understand exactly what President Trump’s agenda is and they are not confused or unclear about what President Trump will do once in office. There’s never been a more crystal clear ‘this is what Trump’s agenda is’—it’s black and white, laid out, and clear as can be,” he told Breitbart News in a December interview, noting that senators — Democrats, particularly — should not be slow and unfair in confirming Trump’s Cabinet nominees.
“There’s never been a worse cabinet in American history than Joe Biden’s cabinet, and yet not one Democratic senator said peep about whether this person was qualified or not—people [like] Mayor Pete [Buttigieg], Jake Sullivan, [Alejandro] Mayorkas– all just grossly unqualified people and terrible disasters. Then, most importantly, every single one of them voted for every single one of Biden’s nominees,” he pointed out.
The incoming senator’s plea follows the horrific tragedy that unfurled in the early morning on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, as a suspect — now identified by a law enforcement source as Shamsud Din Jabbar — plowed a pickup truck through a crowd of people, opening fire afterward. Police fatally shot him in the exchange of gunfire. According to Nola.com, the 42-year-old suspect was carrying an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) flag in the truck.
Local police responded to the attack at 3:17 a.m., with reports of at least ten individuals dead and 35 more wounded. There were also reports that an improvised explosive device was found at the scene.
The FBI came under fire after FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Aletha Duncan initially stated that this was not a “terrorist event.”
Shortly afterwards, the FBI released a statement confirming that it is “working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism.”
President Joe Biden also confirmed that the attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism.
This story is developing.
Read the full article here