Speaking on his show “The Lead,” CNN’s Jake Tapper accused Republicans of “obviously seizing” on the murder of a Georgia nursing student that was allegedly committed by an illegal immigrant so the GOP could attack President Joe Biden on his immigration policies.
The body of Laken Riley, 22, who had been jogging on the campus of the University of Georgia, was found last week. Police used footage from video cameras to track down Jose Ibarra, 26, a Venezuelan illegal immigrant who has been named a suspect in the case.
“Republicans obviously seizing on this horrific tragedy at the University of Georgia,” Tapper intoned. “This girl, this nursing student, killed by an undocumented Venezuelan migrant, and they’re seizing on this as an example of Biden’s failure to protect the American people, and to secure the border.”
Tapper turned to former President Trump’s response: “Today, President Trump posted on his social media site Truth Social, quote, ‘When I am your president, we will immediately seal the border, stop the invasion. And on day one, we will begin the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals in American history. May God bless Laken Riley and her family.’ That’s the poor nursing student that was killed.”
“What’s your reaction to that?” Tapper asked political commentator Doug Heye.
Heye obliged Tapper by agreeing: “Well, first, obviously, it’s a tragedy and we should — we should recognize that before the politics enter this. But let’s not be naive. Politics enter these things very quickly. And Donald Trump knows how to take advantage of a situation like this and exploit it.”
CNN's Jake Tapper whines "Republicans, obviously, seizing on this horrific tragedy at the University of Georgia."
He admits the killer was an illegal but huffs: "They're seizing on this as an example of Biden's failure to protect the American people and secure the border." pic.twitter.com/kKNHFhXVlZ— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) February 26, 2024
Trump was not the only prominent Republican to show his anger at the murder; on Saturday, Georgia GOP Governor Brian Kemp fired off a letter to Biden regarding Riley’s death. He wrote:
Dear Mr. President: As I have stated many times in the past, your actions and those of your administration have resulted in every state in the country experiencing the disastrous impacts of an unsecured U.S. southern border. More than nine million illegal immigrants have crossed the border since you took office — additional, unknown number of migrants who were not detained and processed — while at least 58 people on the terror watchlist have been encountered between ports of entry this fiscal year alone. Moreover, nearly two thousand pounds of fentanyl and five thousand pounds of methamphetamines were seized at the border in just the month of January. In addition to the serious national security implications of this crisis, the increased burden on state and local resources is not only unsustainable, it also presents a clear and present danger to our citizens and communities.
Laken Riley's tragic death struck the hearts of Georgians everywhere and has sparked national outrage.
Joe Biden's failed policies have turned every state into a border state, and I'm demanding information from him so we can protect our people when the federal government won’t! pic.twitter.com/wsD4H6BSr6
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) February 24, 2024
Also on Saturday, House Speaker Mike Johnson tweeted, “The brutal murderer who took the life of Laken was one of the millions of illegal aliens that the Biden Administration simply released and unleashed upon our country. For Laken, and the countless many others lost to this border catastrophe, House Republicans will continue to fight tooth and nail for a return to law and order.”
Every parent, and every American, is saddened—and outraged—to hear about the loss of University of Georgia student Laken Riley. Our prayers are with her family and friends as they mourn this tragedy.
The brutal murderer who took the life of Laken was one of the millions of… https://t.co/rlNr9J6sU4
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 24, 2024