Even at a time of national tragedy, Trump hauls out his usual barrage of lies in a lame attempt to capitalize politically on a flawed report from, surprise, Fox News

(YouTube)

 

The injuries and loss of life certainly are the most tragic elements in the 1/1/25 terror attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas. But a different level of tragedy also is unfolding with the violent images. If Americans thought president-elect Donald Trump would show some measure of dignity in the face of grief and fear, they were wrong. If Americans thought Trump would speak truthfully -- perhaps even trying to uplift the public after a horrific event that was international in scope -- they were wrong. Instead, Trump tried to trash our country, using language that was tasteless, even by his standards.

The Economic Times (ET) reports on the president-elect's unsoothing words under the headline "Trump calls US a 'disaster, laughing stock'; blasts Democrats, FBI after deadly mishaps sent shockwaves in America":

Hours after the deadly mass killing in New Orleans killed 15 people, including the suspect, and injured several others, political figures on the right—most notably former President Donald Trump gave a fiery statement condemning the crash. Donald Trump has said that “the USA is breaking down” and has blamed the “weak, ineffective, and virtually nonexistent leadership” for the nation’s downfall.

His statement slammed the US security system and came after the deadly New Orleans car attack, although he did specifically mention the incident in his post. Trump also blamed the Democrats, Department of Justice and FBI, saying "they have not done their job."

“Our Country is a disaster, a laughing stock all over the World! This is what happens when you have OPEN BORDERS, with weak, ineffective, and virtually nonexistent leadership,” the president-elect wrote on Truth Social. “The DOJ, FBI, and Democrat state and local prosecutors have not done their job. They are incompetent and corrupt, having spent 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. Democrats should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this to happen to our Country," his post read. (Note: Open borders had nothing to do with the acts of terror. The New Orleans suspect --  Shamsud Din-Jabbar -- could hardly be more American. He was born here and lived almost all of his life in Texas, except when he was on assignment for the U.S Army. Matthew Livelsberger, the suspect in Las Vegas, also was a citizen and a military man. He was a highly decorated U.S. Army Green Beret who deployed twice to Afghanistan, officials said. Livelsberger died from a gunshot wound that appeared to be self-inflicted before his Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames at the entrance to a Trump hotel in Las Vegas.)

The ET report spells out how wrong Trump was to tie the attacks to immigration and noted that he seemed to be trying to score political points from a tragedy. Americans likely can expect more such classy reactions to world events from our "Dear Leader" over "the next four years. (Why do I put "the next four years" in quotation marks? Substantial evidence raises questions about whether Trump actually won the 2024 election. Stephen Spoonamore, a leading election-integrity expert, has pointed to signs the election was hacked to benefit Trump and steal a race she likely won from Kamala Harris. Spoonamore has called for a hand recount, but it's unclear if Harris, President Joe Biden, or anyone else from the Democratic Party will do anything about it.) Here is more from ET:

Trump stirs immigration debate again

Earlier reports which wrongly tied the attack to the southern border, provided ammunition for an explosive narrative centered on immigration, even before the facts had been fully established. The attack, initially reported by Fox News as potentially connected to the southern border, quickly spiraled into a frenzy of speculation from right-wing figures eager to tie the tragedy to President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.

Trump, as well as his VP choice J.D. Vance, wasted no time in linking the violence to the southern border. “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,” Trump posted on Truth Social just hours after the incident. (In reality, of course, the statement was not true -- meaning Trump met a moment of immense anxiety with his usual pack of lies.)

Trump went on to express condolences for the victims but included a pointed remark blaming border security under Biden’s administration.

Vance, who retweeted Trump’s post, echoed similar rhetoric, further fueling the narrative. The frenzy was sparked by a faulty Fox News report that erroneously stated the vehicle involved in the attack had crossed the US-Mexico border just two days earlier. The network retracted the report by midday, acknowledging that the truck had entered the US on November 16 from Mexico but was driven by 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US Army veteran with no direct ties to the border.

Trump's message, it turns out was driven by a flawed report from Fox News, of all people. Trump long has proven adept at creating his own lies, but now he is borrowing lies from Fox News:

Trump’s statement came following a series of violent incidents in the United States, including the New Orleans attack and the Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, which resulted in the death of the driver. In the New Orleans attack, at least 15 people died when suspected terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed a pickup truck bearing an ISIS flag into New Year’s Eve revelers on Bourbon Street. He was eventually shot dead by cops.

In a previous Truth Social post, Trump said his administration “will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!”

Yes, the acts of terror were pure evil, but they had nothing to do with the Biden administration's immigration policies -- and Trump might have realized that if he had not been so busy trying to capitalize politically from a time of tragedy.

Terror comes to America: With deadly attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, plus homemade bombs found in Virginia -- and all Trump can do is spew nonsense

(ABC)

New Year's Day 2025 greeted Americans with several harsh lessons, mainly that we are vulnerable to domestic-terror operations from one end of the country to the other. Authorities tell us that the violence and horror might not be over. Oddly, the attacks yesterday appeared to be sending messages regarding U.S. political figures, particularly about President-Elect Donald Trump and "First Buddy" Elon Musk.

Speaking of Trump, his public statements about the New Orleans attack were a disjointed and inaccurate mess that had to be corrected by the press, including Fox News. That might be the most disarming event of the day, given that the United States now appears to have a President-Elect who cannot be trusted to speak truthfully to the American people at a time of emergency -- and he won't even take office for another 18 days. Fortunately, Joe Biden is filling out the final days of his term, and his was a voice of trust and authority at a time when America badly need one -- and all Trump could do was sow confusion.

The toll, at this writing, is 16 dead (15 in New Orleans; one in Las Vegas) and an inexact number of injuries (dozens in New Orleans and seven in Las Vegas). An apparent terror operation appears to have been foiled near Norfolk, Virginia. 

The most devastating attack, so far, came when Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42 of Texas -- who was born in the United States and served in the U.S. Army -- drove a truck onto a Bourbon Street sidewalk filled with New Year's revelers. Security cameras caught at least four other individuals -- three men and a woman -- planting explosive devices in the French Quarter. That prompted authorities to say Jabbar likely did not act alone, and more such attacks could be coming. Jabbar was killed in a gun battle with police, but video recordings captured him saying he had become a member of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) and apparently was inspired by ISIS.

Earlier in the day came reports of the FBI seizing homemade explosives at a home in Norfolk, VA. From a report at the Associated Press:

Federal agents found one of the largest stockpiles of homemade explosives they have ever seized when they arrested a Virginia man on a firearms charge last month, according to a court filing by federal prosecutors.

Investigators seized more than 150 pipe bombs and other homemade devices when they searched the home of Brad Spafford northwest of Norfolk in December, the prosecutors said in a motion filed Monday. The prosecutors wrote that this is believed to be “the largest seizure by number of finished explosive devices in FBI history.”

Most of the bombs were found in a detached garage at the home in Isle of Wight County, along with tools and bomb-making materials including fuses and pieces of plastic pipe, according to court documents. The prosecutors also wrote: “Several additional apparent pipe bombs were found in a backpack in the home’s bedroom, completely unsecured,” in the home he shares with his wife and two young children.

Spafford, 36, was charged with possession of a firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act. Law enforcement officers allege he owned an unregistered short barrel rifle. Prosecutors said that he faces “numerous additional potential charges” related to the explosives.

The investigation began in 2023 when an informant told authorities that Spafford was stockpiling weapons and ammunition, according to court documents. The informant, a friend, told authorities Spafford had disfigured his hand in 2021 while working on homemade explosives. Prosecutors said he only has two fingers on his right hand. The informant told authorities that Spafford was using pictures of the president, an apparent reference to President Joe Biden, for target practice and that “he believed political assassinations should be brought back,” prosecutors wrote.

That was the first sign that politics would be part of the day's events on Monday. But it would not be the last such sign. Near the end of the day, a Tesla Cybertruck filled with explosives burst into flames near the entrance to a Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Given that the truck was a product of an Elon Musk company and the blast occurred at a Trump hotel, speculation soon surfaced that the explosion was tied to the political figures -- perhaps as a crude message designed to instill fear or confusion. From an AP report about the Las Vegas blast:

The person who died when a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives burst into flames outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel was a highly decorated U.S. Army Green Beret who deployed twice to Afghanistan, officials said Thursday.

Two law enforcement officials identified the man inside the futuristic-looking pickup truck as Matthew Livelsberger. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.

Livelsberger served in the Green Berets, highly trained special forces who work to counter terrorism abroad and train partners, the Army said in a statement. He had served in the Army since 2006, rising through the ranks with a long career of overseas assignments, deploying twice to Afghanistan and serving in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Georgia and Congo, the Army said. He was awarded two Bronze Stars, including one with a valor device for courage under fire, a combat infantry badge and an Army Commendation Medal with valor. Livelsberger was on approved leave when he died, according to the statement.

The explosion of the truck, packed with firework mortars and camp fuel canisters, came hours after 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people before being shot to death by police. That crash was being investigated as a terrorist attack and police believe the driver was not acting alone.

Both Livelsberger and Jabbar spent time at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg, a massive Army base in North Carolina that is home to multiple Army special operations units. However, one of the officials who spoke to the AP said there is no overlap in their assignments at the base, now called Fort Liberty. 

The FBI said Thursday in a post on X that it was “conducting law enforcement activity” at a home in Colorado Springs related to Wednesday’s explosion but provided no other details.

The explosion of the truck, packed with firework mortars and camp fuel canisters, came hours after 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people before being shot to death by police. That crash was being investigated as a terrorist attack and police believe the driver was not acting alone.

Both Livelsberger and Jabbar spent time at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg, a massive Army base in North Carolina that is home to multiple Army special operations units. However, one of the officials who spoke to the AP said there is no overlap in their assignments at the base, now called Fort Liberty.

Both Livelsberger and Jabbar spent time at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg, a massive Army base in North Carolina that is home to multiple Army special operations units. However, one of the officials who spoke to the AP said there is no overlap in their assignments at the base, now called Fort Liberty.

Chris Raia, FBI deputy assistant director, said Thursday that officials have found ‘no definitive link’ between the New Orleans attack and the truck explosion in Las Vegas.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday afternoon on X that “we have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself.”

“All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion,” Musk wrote.

From a BBC report on the Las Vegas explosion:

Sheriff Kevin McMahill showed reporters dramatic footage of the explosion and photos of the aftermath, including several fuel canisters along with large fireworks in the truck bed.

Footage showed the truck parked directly in front of the entrance of the hotel. The truck sits idle for several seconds before exploding - bursts of multi-coloured fireworks shooting in multiple directions. 

Mr McMahill, of the Las Vegas Police Department, said authorities were examining whether the incident could be connected to the one in New Orleans, where improvised explosive devices were found near the scene.

He said they were also investigating whether it might be linked to President-Elect Donald Trump, who owns the hotel, or Elon Musk, who owns Tesla.

"Obviously, a Cybertruck, the Trump Hotel, there's lots of questions that we have to answer as we move forward," he said.

(YouTube)