FBI refuses to say if diversity hire who said New Orleans terror attack wasn't a terror attack is being disciplined or fired

NEW ORLEANS, LA - For anyone watching the law enforcement news conference after the terrorist attack early New Year’s Day in New Orleans, the quick dismissal of terrorism as a cause for the rampage by the FBI had to have taken them by surprise. 

During a morning press briefing, New Orleans field office FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan, an apparent DEI hire bearing a nose ring, took to the podium and said the attack was “not a terrorist event” to surprised members of the media, equally surprised local law enforcement officials and incredulous viewers watching on television. The FBI quickly walked back Duncan’s statement and said the attack was indeed under investigation as a terror incident. 

Fox News Digital reports that the FBI has not publicly announced whether Duncan will face disciplinary action for her off-the-cuff remarks or possibly be terminated. The outlet contacted the FBI's press office and press secretary this week to ask if Duncan was subject to discipline; however, no response was received. A subsequent attempt on Friday found the voice mailbox full at the FBI press office. 

In the early morning hours of New Year’s Day and only a short time after the attack, while Bourbon Street was still closed as an active crime scene, Duncan took to the podium. 

‘We’ll be taking over the investigative lead for this event. This is not a terrorist event,” Duncan said in front of unbelieving first responders. “What it is right now is improvised explosive devices that was found.” That is a direct quote. 

Duncan expected people to believe that a man drove down a crowded sidewalk on New Year’s Eve, running people down, and then when he crashed his truck, started shooting indiscriminately, including at police officers, and it was not a terrorist attack. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were found, and the truck was flying an ISIS flag, but it “is not a terrorist event.” This is today’s FBI. 

Her explanation was soon dismissed, albeit not directly, when the mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell, said it was indeed a terror attack. 

“Know that the city of New Orleans was impacted by a terrorist attack. It’s all still under investigation,” Cantrell, a Democrat serving since 2018, said at the press briefing. 

After the initial press briefing, Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI and asked for comment regarding Duncan’s initial assessment that the attack was not a terrorist act. Fox was told that on the day of the attack, the agency issued three different statements and admitted the incident was being investigated as an act of terrorism. 

“This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others. The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism,” the FBI said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. 

FBI whistleblower Steve Guest posted on X, “Why on earth is the FBI using Orwellian language on what is an obvious terrorist attack.” 

Duncan eventually admitted that the attack was being investigated as an act of terror in a subsequent press conference. 

The FBI later confirmed that the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who was shot and killed by police, had been “inspired” by ISIS, however, they did not find evidence that he committed the rampage at the direction of the Islamic terrorist group. 

Conservative lawmakers, long critical of the FBI’s operations during the Biden administration, lashed out at its handling of the investigation. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) slammed the FBI for concentrating on DEI practices rather than its mission of fighting crime. 

“The FBI has a no-fail mission. There is no room for error. When they fail, Americans die. It’s a necessity that Kash Patel gets confirmed ASAP,” Blackburn told Fox News Digital Thursday. Patel has been nominated by President-elect Trump to serve as FBI Director, replacing the feckless Christopher Wray.