Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser speaks about the French Quarter during a French Quarter citizen meeting at the New Orleans Jazz Museum in New Orleans, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Photo by Sophia Germer, The Times-Picayune)
A Louisiana State Trooper from Troop G from the northwest part of the state, keeps pedestrians from walking down Bourbon Street in New Orleans Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.(Staff photo by Chris Granger, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune)
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, third from left, and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, right, and others, take part in a moment of silence before the start of the Sugar Bowl at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.(Staff photo by Chris Granger, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune)
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell reacts as Samyra sings the national anthem at the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game in New Orleans on Thursday, January 2, 2025.(Staff photo by Brett Duke, The Times-Picayune)
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Saints owner Gayle Benson listen to Gov. Jeff Landry’s remarks as officials announce plans for hosting Super Bowl LIX at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans Tuesday, June 4, 2024. (Staff photo by John McCusker, The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com)
Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser speaks about the French Quarter during a French Quarter citizen meeting at the New Orleans Jazz Museum in New Orleans, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Photo by Sophia Germer, The Times-Picayune)
Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser levelled a series of broadsides at Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration a day after the deadly attack on Bourbon Street, injecting a sharp political tone into the governmental response to the New Year’s Day tragedy.
In three interviews with separate news outlets Thursday, Nungesser, a Republican who as lieutenant governor is the state’s top tourism official, said he was frustrated with “excuses” from the city’s Democratic mayor and her lieutenants related to the barriers that were missing from the entrance to Bourbon Street on Canal Street, and questioned Cantrell’s leadership.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell reacts as Samyra sings the national anthem at the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game in New Orleans on Thursday, January 2, 2025.(Staff photo by Brett Duke, The Times-Picayune)
He also brought up earlier controversies around the mayor’s trips to attend global climate conferences.
“I’ve held my tongue long enough,” said Nungesser. “Her lack of leadership is an embarrassment.”
Cantrell, who has taken criticism in the past for her stewardship of the city amid a federal probe into her time in office, did not immediately respond to Nungesser’s comments, first detailed in an interview with WWL-TV.
Since the attack early Wednesday, the mayor has been present with other city, state and federal officials at regular news conferences aimed at informing the public of the multi-agency response. Her office has also issued a series of news releases on public safety and shared condolences for families.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, third from left, and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, right, and others, take part in a moment of silence before the start of the Sugar Bowl at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.(Staff photo by Chris Granger, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune)
“I want to reassure the public that the city of New Orleans is not only ready for gameday today, but we’re ready to continue to host large scale events in our city,” Cantrell said at a press briefing Thursday. “We are built to host at every single turn.”
The comments from Nungesser came as city, state and federal leaders were grappling with an attack that killed 14 people and injured dozens more.
In addition to city law enforcement and other public safety agencies, the FBI and state officials have been deeply involved in the response, with federal officials leading the investigation into what they described as an “act of terrorism.”
Ed Chervenak, a pollster and political analyst, called Nungesser’s decision to throw barbs at New Orleans’ leadership so soon after the attack a surprising political choice.
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Saints owner Gayle Benson listen to Gov. Jeff Landry’s remarks as officials announce plans for hosting Super Bowl LIX at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans Tuesday, June 4, 2024. (Staff photo by John McCusker, The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com)
“It’s way too early to be criticizing any leadership right now. We should be mourning the victims, speaking about the valor of the first responders and trying to figure out exactly what motivated this individual to attack innocent people on Bourbon Street,” Chervenak said. “There will be plenty of opportunities to criticize the mayor, the police. But right now politics should be put to the side.”
Nungesser tore into Cantrell for her administration’s response to the attack in the WWL-TV interview, and repeated his criticisms later in interviews with USA Today and The Times-Picayune.
In the media appearances, he focused on the absence of bollards and other barriers at various entrances to Bourbon Street, as well as the more general critiques of Cantrell’s administration.
Cantrell and other city officials, including Police chief Anne Kirkpatrick, have noted the robust law enforcement presence in the French Quarter at the time of the attack and described how police had positioned a vehicle across Bourbon Street to bar cars from entering in lieu of barriers that were in the process of being replaced.
A Louisiana State Trooper from Troop G from the northwest part of the state, keeps pedestrians from walking down Bourbon Street in New Orleans Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.(Staff photo by Chris Granger, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune)
The attacker avoided those barriers by swerving over a sidewalk.
Louisiana political leaders were thrust into the spotlight by the attack. Others besides Cantrell have also had to navigate early criticism, particularly online.
Landry posted on X Wednesday evening that he was eating at a New Orleans restaurant, including a photograph and noting he was “Proud to be a part of this incredibly resilient city. See everyone at the game tomorrow!”
Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis, a progressive Democrat, wrote on X that Landry was “showboating” as the city mourned and worked to support one another.
Landry later clarified that his post from Bon Ton was meant to reassure visitors to New Orleans that the city was safe.
“Safety is our top priority and we want our guests and the world to know that Louisiana does not cower to radical Islamic terrorists,” Landry said.
James Finn covers politics for The Times-Picayune | Nola.com. Email him at jfinn@theadvocate.com.
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