section_path: Reactions
section_name: Reactions
paragraph_text: Reactions
  
  Riley's murder drew widespread public interest and international media attention, especially in the United States.
  
  Riley's parents, Jason Riley and Allyson Phillips, were invited to the State of the Union by Georgia Congressman Mike Collins, but they turned down his invitation. President Joe Biden mentioned the murder of Riley during the 2024 State of the Union address, after Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted Riley's name at the president.
  
  Sarah Dorn, writing for Forbes, said Riley's murder became a "national political case" during a "historic surge in border crossings during Biden 's tenure". Donald Trump mentioned Riley during his speech for the Republican Party's presidential nomination. Riley, along with other women and girls reportedly killed by illegal immigrants including Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old Houston girl killed in June 2024, were heavily featured in Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and his political advertisements on illegal immigration and border security.
  
  Andrea Cavallier from The Independent discussed the dangers and threats that women face when they run solo, using the murders of Riley; Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year old Iowa university student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant while she was jogging in 2018; and Karina Vetrano, a 30-year-old American woman who was murdered while running in a neighborhood of Queens, New York City, as examples.
  
  The case was taken up by prominent Republicans to support tougher immigration policies. Senator Lindsey Graham stated that the killing of Riley would "change the 2024 election as much as anything". Democrats accused Republicans of politicizing the tragedy. Representative Jerry Nadler stated that Republicans were exploiting Riley's death for "a partisan stunt" and "throwing together legislation to target immigrants in an election year" while Representative Veronica Escobar stated, "We all want Laken Riley’s murderer to be held accountable...Republicans should be ashamed of exploiting this tragedy for their dangerous political games." She subsequently voted against the Laken Riley Act.
  
  Riley's murder drew widespread public interest and international media attention, especially in the United States.
  
  Riley's parents, Jason Riley and Allyson Phillips, were invited to the State of the Union by Georgia Congressman Mike Collins, but they turned down his invitation. President Joe Biden mentioned the murder of Riley during the 2024 State of the Union address, after Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted Riley's name at the president.
  
  Sarah Dorn, writing for Forbes, said Riley's murder became a "national political case" during a "historic surge in border crossings during Biden 's tenure". Donald Trump mentioned Riley during his speech for the Republican Party's presidential nomination. Riley, along with other women and girls reportedly killed by illegal immigrants including Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old Houston girl killed in June 2024, were heavily featured in Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and his political advertisements on illegal immigration and border security.
  
  Andrea Cavallier from The Independent discussed the dangers and threats that women face when they run solo, using the murders of Riley; Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year old Iowa university student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant while she was jogging in 2018; and Karina Vetrano, a 30-year-old American woman who was murdered while running in a neighborhood of Queens, New York City, as examples.
  
  The case was taken up by prominent Republicans to support tougher immigration policies. Senator Lindsey Graham stated that the killing of Riley would "change the 2024 election as much as anything". Democrats accused Republicans of politicizing the tragedy. Representative Jerry Nadler stated that Republicans were exploiting Riley's death for "a partisan stunt" and "throwing together legislation to target immigrants in an election year" while Representative Veronica Escobar stated, "We all want Laken Riley’s murderer to be held accountable...Republicans should be ashamed of exploiting this tragedy for their dangerous political games." She subsequently voted against the Laken Riley Act.