LOUISIANA’S GOVERNOR ACCUSED OF BEING ‘TONE-DEAF’ AFTER POSTING PIC AT STEAKHOUSE HOURS AFTER NEW ORLEANS TERROR ATTACK
Louisiana’s Governor Jeff Landry has been widely slammed for sharing a picture of himself at a steakhouse in New Orleans just hours after a devastating terror attack hit the city. The attack, which occurred on New Year’s Day, saw 14 people killed and 35 injured after a pickup truck was driven into crowds of New Year’s revelers.
The Governor’s post, which referenced the postponed Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff game, was met with fierce criticism from social media users, with many accusing him of being “tone-deaf” and “out of touch” with the gravity of the situation.
In the wake of the attack, authorities identified the suspect as Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, a 42-year-old US Army veteran who was born in Texas and lived in Houston. Jabbar was killed in a firefight with police after driving a rented pickup truck into the crowds.
The Governor’s office has since sought to distance itself from the backlash, with Landry later posting a follow-up statement attempting to reassure the public that safety is a top priority in the city. However, many have continued to criticize the Governor’s initial post, with one user calling it “the most tone-deaf thing I’ve ever seen.”
Meanwhile, investigators are also looking into a possible link between the New Orleans attack and another incident that occurred on New Year’s Day, in which a pickup truck exploded outside a hotel owned by Donald Trump in Las Vegas.