Part 4/9:
Adding to the confusion, the Mayor of New Orleans publicly declared during the same press conference that the city had indeed been impacted by a terrorist attack. The stark contrast between the FBI’s assertions and those of the Mayor left many bewildered and sparked accusations of a cover-up or miscommunication. This dual messaging created a perception of incompetence within the FBI, as it seemed that they were either unwilling or unable to provide a coherent response to the events unfolding in real time.