The Politics of Terrorism and the Response – “The Sunday Political Brunch” - January 5, 2025

The Politics of Terrorism and the Response – “The Sunday Political Brunch” - January 5, 2025

New Year’s Day in America brought a new round of terrorism, and my gut says this is just the beginning. I have long worried that there were entities or people around the world (and at home) that wanted to attack the U.S. again. But I don’t suspect another grand 9-11 style attack. I fear smaller, calculated, multiple attacks, on a variety of cities, in a short span of time. Instead of terror in one place, terror could literally be everywhere. So, how we respond is key. Let’s “brunch” on that this week.

 

“Where is the Prevention?” – A hydraulic barricade that can be raised and lowered on Bourbon Street was out of service, so it could not be raised to block the street. Instead, a police officer was stationed there and the truck driver simply went around him. Why wasn’t a city dump truck used to block the whole street? This takes me back to 9-11 when an FBI agent in Arizona reported that a group of Arab men was taking flying lessons, but only wanted to learn how to fly the planes in the air, and was not interested in learning take-offs and landings. Washington, DC ignored those serious red flags. My point is, here was another case, where preventive measures could have been taken, but were ignored. Folks, I don’t like the lack of prevention when common sense simply says, “Do something.”

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“A Las Vegas Gamble?” – On the same day, a Tesla Cybertruck burst into flame outside a Donald Trump-owned hotel in Las Vegas. The person who died inside was burned so badly that investigators initially could not determine the gender. Later the man was identified as an active-duty Green Beret, but his motives and intentions are still not clear. Was it a separate act of terrorism, public suicide, or both? Call me paranoid, but I don’t believe in coincidences. And yes, the Tesla brand is owned by Elon Musk, a strong ally of President-elect Donald Trump. We need answers fast. We have other major public events coming up soon including the ongoing college football playoffs, the Congressional swearing-in, the Presidential inauguration, and the Super Bowl (in New Orleans), next month.

 

“The Need for Unity” – For now the FBI considers both cases acts of terrorism, and that the two men were acting alone. The New Orleans killer was a supporter of the ISIS terror group. The affiliation of the Las Vegas attacker is unknown. While both served in the military and even at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, it still isn’t clear if the men worked in concert, or even knew each other. I will say I was proud of the current and former elected officials from Louisiana who came forward Wednesday in a very unified, bipartisan voice, condemning the violence, and pledging a cooperative investigation. It reminded when the nation’s leaders came together after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Look, I’m not naïve. We will get back to the partisan political brawling pretty fast with the new President Trump and the new Congress taking office this month. But for the moment, let’s lock arms and stare down terrorism!

 

“In Other News: The Race for House Speaker” – Yes, there was drama on the House floor Friday, but not the 15 roll call votes needed to get a new speaker as was the case two years ago. On the first ballot, House Speaker Mike Johnson (D) Louisiana won the gavel for another two years, by just one vote. Rep. Tom Massie (R) Kentucky, whose district was in my coverage area for the past decade, wound up being the lone Republican “no” vote. Massie hates Johnson with a passion, and when asked if he might back Johnson in the end Massie said, “Oh no. You can pull all my fingernails out, you can shove bamboo up in them, you can start cutting off my fingers.” Ouch! Two other Republicans who also pledged to vote against Johnson, flipped their votes at the last moment. But the narrow margin sends a warning to President-elect Trump, that parts of his agenda may be on thin ice in the House.

 

“A Legal ‘Win-Loss’ for Trump” – On Friday, New York Judge John Merchan upheld the ex-president’s conviction in his “hush money” trial. On the other hand, the judge said Trump would face no penalties. The formal sentencing date will be this Friday, January 10th. The judge said Trump could attend in person or virtually. It will be interesting to see how he appears, and how he acts, just ten days before inauguration. My guess is he won’t go quietly!

 

“A White House Divided?” – It appears the Biden-Harris relationship at the White House has grown tense, and as one aide told the Wall Street Journal, it’s “frosty.” There are many Democrats, including in the Harris camp, who believe President Biden waited way too long to withdraw after his disastrous debate with Donald Trump. He waited nearly a full month to depart, depriving Harris of precious time to build a successful campaign. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) California is among those said to be furious with Biden for hanging on too long. Many also criticize First Lady Jill Biden and high-level aides for not being frank about the president’s health. But I don’t agree with a lot of that. I think Biden unintentionally sealed Harris’ fate long before, when he made her “Border Czar” to fix the hemorrhaging at the Southern Border. The public images on the nightly news simply did her in by showing she didn’t pass the assignment.

 

“Jimmy Carter” – We lost former President Jimmy Carter this past week at the age of 100. The one-term president had a pretty rough go in the White House. His most notable achievement was the Camp David Accords which brought peace between Israel and Egypt (no small feat). But the economy tanked and with international turmoil in Iran, Carter’s second term never materialized. On the other hand, he may have been one of the best ex-presidents the nation ever had. From teaching weekly Sunday school classes, to building homes for the needy through Habitat for Humanity, and ultimately winning the Nobel Peace Prize, all with grace and humility. So many of the things he left his fingerprints on were tied to that one word, “peace.” That’s quite a legacy! Rest in peace, “Jimmy.”

 

“Our Only Encounter” – In 1995 I was reporting out of the Cox Media News Bureau, at the C-SPAN building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Even though I had quit smoking years earlier, I would rarely on occasion bum a cigarette from a co-worker on a very stressful day. Well, I was outside near the street smoking the said cigarette, when a limousine pulled up. First, Secret Service agents jumped out, and then former President Carter. Well, Cox Media is based in Atlanta, and the Cox family was among the first and biggest backers in his runs for governor and president. It is one of the wealthiest and most politically influential families in America.

 

“OMG I was So Nervous!” – I reported from DC for the family’s flagship station, WSB-TV2 in Atlanta. Carter walked straight toward me with his arm outstretched. I did not want to litter by tossing my lit cigarette away, so I nervously tried to hide it behind my back in my left hand, while we shook right hands. “President Carter, I’m Mark Curtis. I am a capitol correspondent for your friends Ann and Barabara Cox.” As cigarette smoke billowed from behind me, he said, “Oh I know who you are, but if you don’t stop smoking those darn cigarettes, they’re going to kill you!” I thanked him and he headed inside for a C-SPAN interview. You can’t make this stuff up!