President Trump Defends Response to Texas Floods Amid Criticism
Amid catastrophic flooding in Texas, President Trump defends his administration's response while facing criticism over budget cuts to federal weather agencies.
As the death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas climbed to at least 82, including 28 children, President Donald Trump defended his administration's response while fielding criticism over past budget cuts to federal weather agencies.
Speaking to reporters before departing his Bedminster golf club, Trump called the floods a "horrible thing" and insisted no one could have predicted the devastation. The President added that he planned to visit Kerr County, where floodwaters rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes, later in the week.
Criticism over staffing cuts saw some meteorologists and former federal officials questioning whether years of staffing reductions under Trump contributed to inadequate warnings ahead of the storm. Rick Spinrad, former director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), warned that widespread job cuts had left weather offices understaffed.
Despite the controversy, Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County on Sunday, activating FEMA to help Texas respond to the crisis. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged that the National Weather Service's initial alerts did not fully anticipate the severity of the flooding and stated that the administration was working to upgrade forecasting systems.
Trump closed his remarks with condolences to those affected by the floods, saying, "God bless all of the people that have gone through so much, and God bless, God bless the state of Texas."