Katie Britt says Biden ‘to blame’ for Laken Riley’s death

Katie Britt says Biden ‘to blame’ for Laken Riley’s death

From her kitchen table in Montgomery, Katie Britt gave an impassioned rebuke of President Biden’s border policies during her rebuttal to the State of the Union address, claiming those policies contributed to the death of Laken Riley.

Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was slain last month on the University of Georgia campus while on a run. Local authorities said an undocumented immigrant is responsible for her killing.

“This could have been my daughter. This could have been yours,” Britt said.

Alabama’s junior senator said crime stemming from the president’s border policies are impacting communities across the country.

“From fentanyl poisoning to horrific murders, there are empty chairs at kitchen tables just like this one,” she said.

During his address, Biden held up a white button that Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had handed him earlier bearing Riley’s name. Authorities say she was killed by a Venezuelan national who unlawfully crossed into the U.S. in September 2022.

Greene, decked out in pro-Trump paraphernalia, shouted at Biden during his address.

“Laken Riley,” Biden said, calling her an “innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.” He expressed condolences to her family, saying his heart goes out to them.

While Biden “finally said her name” during the State of the Union, Britt said, “he refused to take responsibility.”

“Mr. President. Enough is enough,” she said. “Americans are dying and you only have yourself to blame.”

Britt, 42, was the first woman elected to the Senate from Alabama in 2022 and is the youngest sitting senator.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.