I understand that we cannot give the terrorists a propaganda win by fleeing into the bunker when they execute an attack. Then again, you shouldn’t be too loose in your activities post-attack, especially as an elected official. There’s a happy medium, and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry certainly didn’t need to post this on social media.
The governor issued a statement and an emergency declaration after the New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street that left 14 people dead. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a Texas native, committed the terrorist attack after becoming radicalized and pledging allegiance to ISIS. Mr. Landry then proceeded to have a steak dinner as investigators were trying to piece together events and get a firm total of the casualty count. There are still people being identified, with families being shattered. It's not the best time to post this stuff, sir.
“Ate dinner tonight in New Orleans. Proud to be a part of this incredibly resilient city. See everyone at the game tomorrow!,” he (or a staffer) wrote on Twitter:
A deadly terror attack hits your city. People are in mourning. Victims are hospitalized. But yea, let's go for a steak. And post a photo of it. https://t.co/HY41tVzgyI
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 2, 2025
Hours after more than a dozen people were murdered in a brutal terrorist attack, resulting in the Sugar Bowl being put on ice, Louisiana’s governor is celebrating by eating a fancy dinner and tweeting about it. https://t.co/tvBsSWfhAy
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 2, 2025
The game was the AllState Sugar Bowl between Notre Dame and Georgia, which got postponed due to the attack. It was supposed to be played on New Year’s Day. It was pushed back to January 2nd, where the Fighting Irish emerged victorious over the Bulldogs. Landry said he’d attend the game when asked about the security situation.
Again, I'm not saying he couldn’t enjoy a steak dinner, but the timing and the caption seemed unseemly—you didn’t need to post it either, man. All of us huddled in fear is not the right move either, but this seemed to be a very blasé way to treat this terrorist attack, especially after it exposed the failed security protocols in the French Quarter.
There had to have been a better post to demonstrate that we wouldn’t cower in fear or have our lives dictated by those of ISIS operatives.
That also wasn't his only blunder:
I am a reporter, and I am biased in this regard. But if a public official—for whatever reason—cannot answer a pertinent question after a terror attack or a disaster then say you can’t answer. Don’t threaten to shut the press conference down at the expense of the public.
— Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) January 1, 2025