‘How is this tweet still up??’: Trump’s son’s disgusting post continues to spread misinformation about the New Orleans terrorist attack

Oh, look! A Trump acting tactless and unempathetic about a tragedy. As a public political figure, a simple “Thoughts and Prayers” would have sufficed in the wake of the attack in New Orleans, but this is Donald Trump Jr. we’re talking about here.

In response to the January 1 terrorist attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, Donald Trump Jr. quoted a post on X from the Insider Paper account. The original IP post reads: “BREAKING Federal law enforcement sources tell Fox, the New Orleans attack suspect came through Eagle Pass, Texas two days ago. The suspect’s citizenship status is not yet confirmed – Fox News.”

Trump Jr.’s response to IP’s post was: “Biden’s parting gift to America—migrant terrorists.” A community note was later added to his post, which reads: “FOX News reports that the suspect is a resident of Houston, and the FBI says he is a U.S. citizen” and includes a link to Fox 26 Houston’s report.

What we know about the attacker

Insider Paper originally published their post around 5 AM on Jan 1. The FBI shared press releases 3 hours later about the nature of the attack and the attacker’s identity. These statements were shared on X as well as on the FBI website. It’s free and accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

This press release identifies the attacker as a U.S. citizen resident in Texas. On January 2, the FBI shared an updated press release stating the attacker joined ISIS. He made a series of videos on his Facebook account which confirmed his involvement in the terrorist organization. The FBI also shared he was born in the U.S. and was a U.S. military veteran.

So … definitely not a migrant.

The investigation is ongoing. The FBI continues to post updates on their website should anyone be interested in fact-checking their news sources.

Yet Donald Trump Jr.’s post remains

So after the evidence proved that the truth does not line up with his and his family’s right-wing talking points, why didn’t Trump Jr. take a little responsibility? Insider Paper issued a correction not long after their original post. It would be easy for Trump’s son to remove his callous post or share the updated version so that his followers have the correct information. Other X users have noticed Trump Jr.’s refusal to amend his statement and are calling him out. The Republics against Trump account, for instance, wrote “How is this tweet still up??”

Another user called Trump Jr. a “liar,” while someone else wrote, “you wanna delete this now, what with him being an [American] citizen and possibly an army reservist?”

Some even have theories about why Trump Jr. isn’t taking responsibility for his post. Replying to Republicans against Trump’s question, one user commented, “Because people don’t typically fact check things that agree with their agenda… So it’s still doing it’s intended work with his audience. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯,” while another wrote, “Donald Trump just has to pounce on the horrific New Orleans truck attack to push his lies + anti-immigrant agenda based on lies about the identity of the attacker. This is as shameless as it gets..Despite Trump’s insinuation to the contrary, the attacker is from Texas!”

If you look down the rest of the thread on Trump Jr.’s original quoted post, you’ll find many replies supportive of the idea that this tragedy must somehow be because of immigrants. His followers are not especially concerned about facts, no matter who presents them. It’s enough to plant the seed and watch the outrage grow.

At the time of publishing in the early hours of January 4, Donald Trump Jr.’s post is still up on X.