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The New Orleans Attack Was Absolutely Preventable
The attack exemplifies what right-wing politics and the modern-day Republican Party have in store for America.
Just hours after a “new beginning” was launched, the end came quickly and violently for over a dozen people taking part in New Year’s celebrations on the famous Bourbon Street. A recently-radicalized American citizen (I will not write his name here) drove a rented truck into a crowd and only stopped after having run over dozens. The 42-year-old terrorist was then gunned down in a firefight with the police who were on the scene instantly.
President-elect Donald Trump weighed in on the tragedy, offering prayers for the victims and condolences to their loved ones. (Let this phrase sink in.) Now, you know damn well that Trump did nothing of the sort, right? He instead politicized the horrid event by blaming illegal immigrants for the attack. In a text full of lies just hours after the tragedy, and while some of the dead bodies still lie there in the heart of what had just hours been a big, fun party, Trump raged about how the U.S. is experiencing one of the worst crimes sprees in its history thanks to immigrants. Fox News even supported his narrative before pulling back a few hours later.