Mayorkas and Wray asked to testify in front of the Senate about New Orleans attack: 'They need to provide answers'

Josh Hawley requested that Alejandro Mayorkas and Christopher Wray testify in front of the Senate for the attack in New Orleans, where a 42-year-old man rammed into a crowd on the first day of 2025. The Republican senator from Missouri assured that both the secretary of Homeland Security and the still director of the FBI "to provide answers" about what happened.

"The Senate should demand the public testimony of Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Wray immediately. That duo has been skipping out on hearings for months. Now there’s been a deadly attack on American soil. They need to provide answers," Hawley said on his X account.

To formalize his request, he wrote a letter to Rand Paul (R-KY), who will soon take over as the new chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, to convene a hearing.

"When the 119th Congress convenes next week, and you assume leadership of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, I urge you to immediately call Mayorkas and Wray to publicly testify prior to their departure from office," the letter reads.

Paul, who joined the Senate in 2011, will assume his new role next Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, replacing Democrat Gary Peters of Michigan.

As of Wednesday night, January 1, the attack in New Orleans left 10 dead and 35 wounded. The main suspect is Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen and Army veteran.

According to the FBI, Jabbar drove a suspected rented Ford pickup truck and was carrying weapons, a possible improvised explosive device (IED) and an ISIS flag.

Federal authorities are investigating the attack as a terrorist attack and are also looking into possible ties and associations with terrorist organizations.

The attack occurred around 3:15 AM when the suspect drove the van at high speed into the crowd. Then, upon crashing, he got out of the vehicle and exchanged gunfire with three local police officers. Two officers were injured, and the man was shot and killed.

"When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true. The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before. Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department. The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!" Donald Trump said on the incident.