Topline
President-elect Donald Trump’s allies urged speedy confirmation of his nominees for national security roles in the wake of the New Orleans terror attack as the Senate is set to vote in the coming weeks on dozens of Trump’s picks, including several controversial nominees.
Melania Trump and Donald Trump arrive on New Year’s Eve at the Mar-A-Lago Club on December 31, 2024 … [+]
Getty ImagesKey Facts
Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Trump’s incoming national security adviser, told Fox News Thursday, “this is why getting Trump’s cabinet in is so important,” referring to revelations the suspect in the New Orleans terror attack that killed 14 people Wednesday was allegedly inspired by ISIS.
Waltz specifically named Department of Homeland Security secretary nominee Kristi Noem, FBI director nominee Kash Patel, Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director nominee John Ratcliffe.
Incoming Senate Majority Leader, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., on Wednesday also wrote on X the attack “is a clear example of why the Senate must get President Trump’s national security team in place as quickly as possible,” warning, “the threat posed by ISIS will outlast this administration.”
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., wrote Wednesday on X the Senate “must confirm President Trump’s national security team as soon as possible,” adding, “lives depend on it.”
Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said, “every single national security nominee should be confirmed & ready to protect America by January 20th” in a post Wednesday on X.
Donald Trump Jr. reposted Moreno’s tweet and wrote, “this is exactly right!!! It’s time for Democrats to put the safety and security of the American people ahead of their Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Tangent
Trump has suggested President Joe Biden’s border policies are to blame in a series of posts on X, even though the FBI has said the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, is a U.S.-born citizen from Texas who served in the Army. Fox News on Wednesday also aired an erroneous report that the suspect’s truck was seen crossing the U.S. border in Eagle Pass, Texas, two days prior to the attack, according to CNN. Trump posted a short time later that “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.” Fox later clarified the report to say that the truck, which was rented from the app Turo, was in the border town of Eagle Pass about two months ago, CNN notes.
What To Watch For
The Senate will vote to confirm Trump’s nominees for national security roles and other positions in the coming weeks. Some Republican senators have expressed hesitance about Hegseth and Gabbard, citing Gabbard’s links to foreign adversaries and allegations of concerning drinking habits and sexual assault against Hegseth.
Key Background
Jabbar drove a rented Ford truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street around 3:15 a.m. on New Year’s Day, killing 14 people and injuring dozens of others, authorities have said. He died in a shootout with police at the scene. FBI officials are now probing the attack as an act of terrorism and have said Jabbar posted videos to Facebook hours before the attack saying he had joined ISIS. Jabbar was reportedly born in Beaumont, Texas, and worked in real estate in the Houston area. He served in active duty in the Army from 2007 through 2015 and later served in the Army Reserve before he was honorably discharged in 2020, an Army spokesperson told CNN. Officials said they believe he acted alone in the New Orleans attack.
Further Reading
Trump’s Cabinet And Key Jobs: Miami-Dade Commissioner Kevin Cabrera and Billionaire Tilman Fertitta Among Latest Nominees (Forbes)
New Orleans Truck Attack Suspect Identified—Here’s What We Know About Him (Forbes)
New Orleans Truck Attack: Bourbon Street Reopens Ahead Of College Football Sugar Bowl (Live Updates) (Forbes)
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