President Joe Biden is being criticized on social media for not mentioning Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was killed by an illegal immigrant, during his speech on Wednesday about crime prevention.
The Context
Riley was jogging on the University of Georgia (UGA) campus in Athens when she was killed by blunt-force trauma on February 22. Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national who is believed to have entered the U.S. illegally in 2022, was charged with her murder.
Riley's killing sparked outrage, especially among conservatives who have been pushing for better border security amid the surge of illegal migrant crossings. Georgia Representative Mike Collins, a Republican from Athens, posted on X following Riley's death: "The blood of Laken Riley is on the hands of Joe Biden, [Homeland Security Secretary] Alejandro Mayorkas, and the government of Athens-Clarke County."
What We Know
During Biden's White House speech on Wednesday, he said that American cities are "making historic progress," adding: "Last year, the United States had one of the lowest rates of all violent crimes in more than 50 years. Murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery all dropped sharply along with burglary, property crime and theft."
Biden mentioned his American Rescue plan, a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill that he signed into law in March 2021.
"We provided $350 billion, $350 billion that was available to deal with these issues ... Because of the American Rescue plan, we have the largest federal investment in fighting crime and preventing violent crime at any time in our history."
Supporters of former President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement slammed Biden for not mentioning Riley during his speech.
A Trump supporter on X, formerly Twitter, who goes by Delta Queen, wrote: "Biden is conducting a press conference on America's safety. He is praising himself and insists crimes are down across America. He doesn't speak about illegals or how many criminals the DAs have casually released. Biden did not say Laken Riley's name one time."
"Biden just spoke addressing crime. But he FAILED to mention illegal immigrant crime!!" posted @PecanC8, another Trump supporter. "He ignored the brutal killing of UGA student Laken Riley, the sexual assault of a child in Virginia, the rape of a 14 year old girl, all crimes committed by illegals who have NO RIGHT to be here!! SHUTDOWN THE DAMN BORDER NOW!!!!"
X user @misfitpatriot_, who is a self-described MAGA supporter, wrote: "@JoeBiden just spoke to the public about the crime issue in this country. He stated 'crime is down' He blamed republicans He did not mention illegal immigrant crime once. He still has not said the name Laken Riley publicly, but he did just mention George Floyd. Fkn joke..."
Biden said in his speech: "I'm gonna continue to call on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, so we can make police reform the law of the land."
Floyd was a 46-year-old Black man who died on a Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May 2020 after Police Officer Derek Chauvin held his knee on Floyd's neck, preventing him from breathing.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.
The Views
Representative Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican and staunch Trump supporter, told Fox News' America Reports following Biden's speech: "The first thing Joe Biden should do is stop talking about crime and start working to fix it. And to do that number one, shut down the border. He could do that today. We hear constantly about Laken Riley. It is a tragic situation in Georgia. People are angry about it. But there are Laken Rielys in every city across the country."
"I want to hear him say her name. In fact, I'm quite shocked that he did not say Laken Riley's name," Mace added.
Biden did support a bipartisan bill in the Senate that would have given $118 billion in foreign and domestic aid, including $20 billion to border security, and reformed the immigration system in America. The Senate failed to advance the bill within the chamber after Republicans in Congress and Trump criticized it.
When asked by a reporter if Biden has spoken to Riley's family on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: "First of all, I do want to extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Laken Hope Riley....I don't have anything regarding to the president speaking to the family."
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Trump, the GOP front-runner in the 2024 presidential nomination and Biden's likely opponent in November, wrote on his social media platform Truth Social: "Laken Riley was a spectacular young woman whose life was taken from us, and her great family, by a savage monster who should not have been in our Country.
"We must rid ourselves of this ridiculous Open Border, right now. My heart, and the heart of Melania, goes out to Laken's family and friends. God Bless you all!"
What's Next?
On Thursday, Biden is scheduled to make his second visit to the U.S.-Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas, and will meet with Border Patrol agents, law enforcement and local leaders.
"He will discuss the urgent need to pass the Senate bipartisan border security agreement, the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border in decades," a statement from the White House said. "He will reiterate his calls for congressional Republicans to stop playing politics and to provide the funding needed for additional U.S. Border Patrol agents, more asylum officers, fentanyl detection technology and more."
Update 2/28/24, 4:07 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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