MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell claims US military personnel pose greater threat than illegal immigrants

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MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell claims US military personnel pose greater threat than illegal immigrants

MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell argued that U.S. military personnel and not illegal immigrants are the primary instigators of terrorism within the U.S.

MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell argued that Americans should look to their fellow citizens, specifically U.S. military personnel, and not illegal immigrants, as instigators of terrorism within the U.S. in a segment Thursday. 

"The simple fact is, this country has suffered more deadly terrorism at the hands of American-born citizens who are veterans of the United States military than people who have crossed into this country at the southern border," O'Donnell said. "It is very clear from the evidence that if you want to worry about terrorism in this country, the United States Army is a much bigger problem than the southern border."

Early on New Year's Day, chaos broke out on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. The suspect, later identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, is accused of ramming a truck into crowds in the city's popular French Quarter, killing at least 15 and injuring dozens of others. Jabbar, who was armed with a Glock and a .308 rifle, was killed after opening fire on police. 

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MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell argued that Americans should look to their fellow citizens and not illegal immigrants as the primary instigators of terrorism within the U.S. in a segment Thursday.  (MSNBC)

O'Donnell used examples of military veterans, including Timothy McVeigh, the domestic terrorist behind the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, to argue that American veterans have perpetuated more violence than immigrants have in U.S. history. 

"Timothy McVeigh parked a truck outside that building loaded with explosives in an act of homegrown American terrorism," O'Donnell said. "Timothy McVeigh’s hatred of the American government was not tamed in any way by his service in the American military. So, too, with America’s latest terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year's Eve, with an American military veteran driving a pickup truck through a crowd to murder 14 people." 

"But when Donald Trump sees the type of terrorist attack that occurred in New Orleans, he doesn’t remember Timothy McVeigh and, instead, he blames the criminals that he imagines are crossing the southern border," the MSNBC host continued. 

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Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who was armed with a Glock and a .308 rifle, was killed in a shootout with police. (Federal Bureau of Investigation via AP)

"No one who has ever crossed the southern border, in the history of the existence of the southern border, has killed more people in this country than Timothy McVeigh, who was born in Lockport, New York, the northwest part of the state, into a White Roman Catholic American family with roots in this country that go back farther than Donald Trump’s roots in this country," O'Donnell said. "The New Orleans terrorist, like Timothy McVeigh, reached the rank of sergeant in the United States Army."

Law enforcement officials, including the FBI, held a press conference where a special agent initially told the public that the attack was not related to terrorism. 

"We'll be taking over the investigative lead for this event. This is not a terrorist event," said New Orleans field office FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan during the press conference. The FBI later released statements revealing that the attack was now under investigation as an act of terror, including reporting that an ISIS flag was found on the truck that rammed into the crowds. 

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Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.