House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy issued a statement Tuesday accusing the Justice Department of “downplaying” a hostage incident at a synagogue in Texas on Saturday.
In a nearly 11-hour standoff, a gunman took four hostages, including a rabbi, at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, near Forth Worth. Authorities identified Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British national, as the gunman and said he was killed after the hostages escaped. British authorities announced that two teenagers are in custody in connection with the incident.
President Joe Biden condemned the attack, calling it an act of terror.
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In a Tuesday statement, McCarthy questioned the administration’s initial handling of the investigation and the unanswered questions that remain regarding this weekend’s attack at a Colleyville synagogue.
“Over the past 48 hours, President Biden’s Justice Department has gone from denying the clear and religious, anti-Semitic implications of this attack to now backtracking to what we all already knew to be true,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy said the incident raises questions including, “Why were Biden officials downplaying terrorist attacks within our borders?” and “Why did the FBI initially disregard the role anti-Semitism played in this hostage situation?” He also questioned if there were any early indications missed or if any security concerns remain.
“The Biden administration must answer for how this case has already been mishandled, and must provide a clear strategy on how they plan to continue to investigate the outstanding terror threats,” McCarthy said.
Biden said in a Saturday statement, “There is more we will learn in the days ahead about the motivations of the hostage taker.”
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“But let me be clear to anyone who intends to spread hate—we will stand against antisemitism and against the rise of extremism in this country,” Biden said. “That is who we are, and tonight, the men and women of law enforcement made us all proud.”
