President Donald Trump on Friday (July 11, 2025) toured the devastation from catastrophic flooding in Texas and lauded state and native officials, even amid mounting criticism that they could have did not warn residents shortly sufficient {that a} lethal wall of water was coming their method.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly promised to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a part of his bigger pledges to dramatically shrink the dimensions of presidency, and he is keen on decrying officials in Democrat-run states hit by previous pure disasters and tragedy.
But the President struck a much more somber and sympathetic tone whereas visiting America’s largest Republican state — highlighting the heartbreak of what occurred whereas effusively praising elected officials and first responders alike.
“The search for the missing continues. The people that are doing it are unbelievable,” Mr. Trump, seated with officials round a desk with emblazoned with a black-and-white “Texas Strong” banner, stated at a makeshift emergency operations middle inside an expo corridor in Kerrville.
He later added, “You couldn’t get higher individuals, and they’re doing the job like I don’t assume anyone else might, frankly.”
Since the July 4 disaster, which killed at least 120 people and left more than 170 missing, the President has been conspicuously silent on his past promises to shutter FEMA and return disaster response to the states. Instead, he’s focused on the once-in-a-lifetime nature of what occurred in central Texas’ Hill Country and its human toll.
“We just visited with incredible families. They’ve been devastated,” the President said of a closed-door meeting he and first lady Melania Trump had with the relatives of some of those killed or missing.
Trump’s shift in focus underscores how tragedy can complicate political calculations, even though he has made slashing the federal workforce a centerpiece of his administration’s opening months. He spent a lot of time Friday discussing the victims from Camp Mystic, the century-old all-girls Christian summer camp where at least 27 people were killed.
“They were there because they loved God. And, as we grieve this unthinkable tragedy, we take comfort in the knowledge that God has welcomed those little beautiful girls into his comforting arms in heaven,” Mr. Trump said.
The first lady described meeting “beautiful young ladies” from the area who she said gave her a “special bracelet from the camp in honor of all the little girls that lost their lives.”
“We are right here to honor them,” she stated, promising to return to help the camp sooner or later.
Before arriving for his tour, Mr. Trump accredited Texas’ request to increase the most important catastrophe declaration past Kerr County to eight extra counties, making them eligible for direct monetary help to get well and rebuild.
“All across the country Americans’ hearts are shattered. I had to be here as president,” he said. “All the beautiful souls, and we’re filled with grief and devastation. This, the loss of life. And unfortunately, they’re still looking.”
Mr. Trump additionally tried to steer away from partisanship, even saying at one level, “I don’t want to say politics” whereas nonetheless bragging about decreasing the price of eggs across the nation.
He additionally nonetheless insisted his administration “is doing everything it can to help Texas” and “we’ve got some good people” working FEMA. That is nonetheless a far cry from his name mere weeks in the past to start “phasing out” FEMA.
