Biden says 'New Orleans defines strength and resilience' at service for victims

President Biden offered his condolences to the victims of the New Orleans New Year’s Day attack, calling the Louisiana city one with a tough spirit at an interfaith prayer service with victims’ families.

“If there’s one thing we know, New Orleans defines strength and resilience, you define it. Whether it’s in the form of this attack … or hurricanes or superstorms, this city is — people get back up. That’s the spirit of America as well,” Biden said at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans.

Biden called the attack a “horrific attack of terrorism.” Shamsud-Din Jabbar — a U.S. citizen from Texas who was carrying an ISIS extremist group flag on the trailer hitch — drove a pickup truck early on Jan. 1 onto Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring dozens of others.

“I know events like this are hard and the shock and pain is still so very raw. My wife Jill and I are here to stand with you, to grieve with you, to pray with you, to let you know you are not alone. The rest of the nation’s looking at you as well,” Biden said, adding that he has experienced loss in his own life.

“I know it’s been five days staring at that empty chair in the kitchen, around the kitchen table, not hearing the voice,” he added.

He spoke about some of the victims, mentioning they were students, athletes, warehouse managers, cooks and a single mom who was just promoted at work.

“Some even ran towards the chaos to try to save others. We remember them,” he said.

He also honored those who were injured in the attack and the first responders, and he said he has called on his team and law enforcement to complete the investigation quickly.

The service at St Louis Cathedral, in the French Quarter, included leaders from different faiths. Before his remarks, Biden and first lady Jill Biden placed a candle in the middle of a semicircle of candles for each of the 14 victims after their names were read aloud by Rev. Ajani Gibson, pastor of St. Peter Claver Church in New Orleans.

Prior to the service, the Bidens met with the families, survivors and local law enforcement impacted by the attack.

When they arrived in New Orleans on Monday, they stopped by Bourbon Street to lay flowers at a shrine for victims. They stood in silence with their heads bowed before leaving for the church.

Biden last week convened a meeting with Vice President Harris and his Homeland Security team to discuss the latest developments in the New Orleans investigation, as well as the truck explosion in Las Vegas.

After that meeting, the president said that there is no evidence of a connection between the New Orleans and Las Vegas incidents and said that the New Orleans attacker acted alone. He also reiterated information from the FBI earlier Thursday that Jabbar planted explosives in nearby locations in New Orleans and had a remote detonator in his vehicle.

President-elect Trump railed on Truth Social that the border under Biden has led to violent crime and blamed the immigration situation in the U.S. on the recent attacks in New Orleans and in Las Vegas.