'The U.S.A. is breaking down': Trump reacts to recent attack in New Orleans

Jessica Hill, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Jan 2, 2025

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President-elect Donald Trump went on a social media blast following the recent truck attack in New Orleans that killed 15 people, though he has yet to make a specific comment on the Tesla Cybertruck explosion that occurred outside of his hotel in Las Vegas.

On his Truth Social, the president-elect said the crime rate in the country is at a “level that nobody has ever seen before.”

“Our hearts are with all the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers at the New Orleans Police Department,” he wrote on Wednesday. “The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!”

Later he posted “this is what happens when you have OPEN BORDERS and said the “DOJ, FBI, and Democrat state and local prosecutors have not done their job,” calling them incompetent and corrupt.

It wasn’t clear what event he was referring to.

“The USA is breaking down,” he wrote. “A violent erosion of Safety, National Security, and Democracy is taking place across our Nation. Only strength and powerful leadership will stop it.”

The FBI reported national crime decreased an estimated 3 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, according to its 2023 Crime in the Nation Statistics. Both the suspect in the New Orleans attack and the Las Vegas attack are U.S. citizens.

Eric Trump, a son of Trump and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, posted on X about the explosion, praising the fire department and local law enforcement “for their swift response and professionalism.”

John Sadler, spokesperson for the attorney general’s office, said the office has been in touch with Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill, Gov. Joe Lombardo and other law enforcement partners.

“Many details of the attack, including a possible motive, have not yet been confirmed, but we are confident in the investigation and in continued efforts to ensure the public’s safety,” Sadler said in a statement to the Review-Journal.

In the wake of the explosion, Nevada officials also expressed gratitude for the first responders at the scene.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said she is grateful to Metro, the FBI and all the first responders for their work to keep Las Vegas safe.

“I have confidence in the ongoing work by local, state, and federal law enforcement as this investigation continues,” she said Wednesday on X.

Sen. Jacky Rosen, Rep. Dina Titus and Rep. Susie Lee said on Wednesday their offices are monitoring the situation closely and is in contact with state and local officials.

Republican allies to Trump also reacted to the news.

GOP Senate candidate and veteran Sam Brown called it a “terrible situation” on X and thanked the first responders and the staff at the hotel.

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