President Donald Trump oversaw an emotional day at the White House as he commemorated the 2nd anniversary of the slaying of 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley. President Trump used the occasion to officially announce February 22nd as National Angel Family Day.
Throughout the ceremony, Trump hosted grieving parents and first responders to share their stories. In one moment, a former New York City police officer recounted how he had previously arrested Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant criminal who would go on to be released and allowed to recommit, this time fatally, on that fateful day in Georgia.
In other moments, parents addressed the White House audience to relive the nightmare of learning about the horrific fate that met their children, all a result of open border policies and lawmakers who choose to virtue signal support of illegals over the prioritization of safety for American citizens, as Trump often said during his own remarks.
In one moment, the president used his podium to remember the names of several slain Americans, many of them young like Laken Riley. “Americans like Lakin and Grant and Javier, Joshua, Rocky, Rachel, Kayla, these are great people, and we’re never going to forget them. I’ll never forget them,” he said, naming the young victims whose lives were needlessly ended short.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be around. Got a lot of people gunning for me, don’t I, but I will. I will not forget them. I’m never going to forget them, and I just think you’re among the most brave people. I meet a lot of brave people. I meet warriors. I give out Congressional Medals of Honor where people recommend, like these two in front of me are so wonderful, but they recommend, and I meet the greatest people,” he continued.
In another emotional and moving moment during the same ceremony, the president read a heartbreaking letter from grandparents who would never see their precious grandaughter again after she was killed by an illegal immigrant.
“I want to conclude by reading part of a letter I received earlier this year from two heartbroken grandparents who will never again see their eight year old granddaughter after an illegal alien ran her over with his truck purposely, they wrote to me we are hurting so badly, and now know that the hurting in our family will never go away. It never, ever will go away,” the letter stated.
We’re not seeking notoriety. We don’t care about press coverage, but we do want our girl to be remembered. We want people to actually know how preventable this murder was. And lastly, we want the American government to be accountable to its citizens,” the letter concluded.
Trump responded, saying, “They should be accountable for what they did. That’s my administration, and I will tell you fighting, and we’re fighting so hard, all of them, everybody together, is fighting. We’re putting American citizens first. We’re defending American lives, and we’re fighting for every angel family. Angel families are beautiful families. They’re beautiful families.”