Bill Clinton: Laken Riley's murder "probably wouldn't" have happened if border was secure

By 
 October 18, 2024

Former President Bill Clinton experienced a health scare three years ago when he had to be hospitalized for a urologic infection.

However, some critics are now questioning the former president's mental well-being after he recently made a devastating misstep.  

Clinton says murder victim Laken Riley might still be alive if border was secure

One of those critics is New York Post contributor Miranda Devine, who highlighted the incident in an article published on Wednesday.

Devine observed that Clinton raised eyebrows during a campaign appearance in Georgia this week by suggesting that the murder of Laken Riley "probably wouldn't have happened" if her alleged killer had been "properly vetted."

Riley was a 22-year-old Augusta University College nursing student whose body was discovered near her apartment building at the beginning of this year.

Trump campaign makes use of Clinton's words in new ad

The man accused of murdering her is Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan illegal migrant who is believed to be connected with the notorious gang known as Tren de Aragua.

Fox 5 in Atlanta reported last month that prosecutors announced they have obtained DNA evidence along with video footage that links Ibarra to Riley's killing. He is scheduled to go on trial in November.

The Independent pointed out that agents with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) first came across Ibarra on September 8, 2022. Although they apprehended him after he crossed the southern border near El Paso, Texas, Ibarra was subsequently "paroled and released for further processing."

The Hill noted how former President Donald Trump's campaign was quick to seize upon Clinton's remarks and use them in an advertisement.

Clinton spokeswoman complains that Trump is acting "disingenuously"

"Kamala Harris claimed the border was 'secure' just days after Laken Riley's illegal immigrant killer Jose Ibarra crossed into the nation. Ibarra was caught at the border and then released into the country by Kamala Harris," the Trump campaign ad said.

"President Trump will secure the border and stop catch-and-release," it pledged before adding, "This is why he was just endorsed by the Border Patrol Union."

Angel Ureña serves as a spokeswoman for Clinton, and in a statement provided to The Hill, she accused the Trump campaign of having "disingenuously" taken former President Clinton's remarks "out of context."

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