Trump Tracker: Pioneer updates on America’s president

Louis LaVenture,
Editor-in-Chief
November 2, 2017

What happened?

Several news outlets and politicians criticized President Donald Trump’s response to a terror attack on Tuesday in New York that left eight people dead.

Twenty-nine-year-old Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov drove a rented truck through a bike path in Manhattan near the World Trade Center, killing eight people and injuring 13 others, according to CNN.

The news outlet also reported that he lived in New Jersey and a note found in the truck claimed the attack was for ISIS. Trump quickly took to his preferred method of communication, Twitter, to address the attack.

“I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program,” Trump said Tuesday on Twitter. “Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded that they had no information on an increase in the program and referred all questions about it to the White House. According to CNN, “Trump’s initial promise of ‘extreme vetting’ — a vague one made on the 2016 campaign trail — turned into a suite of policies that have stepped up checks on people seeking visas and also included the so-called ‘travel ban,’ which kept immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.”

According to several Associated Press reports, the suspect in the New York City attacks is from Uzbekistan, which is not included on the extreme vetting list.

The DHS confirmed that he came to America in 2010 with a diversity immigrant Visa.

On Wednesday morning, Trump continued his Twitter rant, first saying, “The terrorist came into our country through what is called the ‘Diversity Visa Lottery Program,’ a Chuck Schumer beauty. I want merit based.” Just a few minutes later he tweeted, “Senator Chuck Schumer helping to import Europes problems’ said Col.Tony Shaffer. We will stop this craziness! @foxandfriends.”

Fox, CNN and the AP all criticized Trump for his reaction to the incident that the claimed showed a lack of empathy and continued with his style of blaming others for these issues.

CNN referred to Trump’s Twitter response in the wake of the London attack in September, when he was quick to scold the nation’s leaders over failed policies. “Another attack in London by a loser terrorist. These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!” Trump tweeted following the September attack in London.