US President Donald Trump on Friday defended federal and state responses to the devastating flash floods in Kerr County, Texas, which claimed the lives of at least 120 people, including dozens of children, on July 4.
Visiting the affected Hill Country region, Trump lauded Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for their handling of the disaster. “I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances,” he said during a roundtable in Kerr County, the epicentre of the floods.
Tensions rose when Trump was asked about criticism from families who said warnings were not issued in time. “I don’t know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that,” he responded angrily.
The Trump administration has faced sharp questions over whether proposed spending cuts at the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may have hampered early detection or response. Officials insist the cuts did not affect NWS storm forecasting, despite staff vacancies in local offices.
Trump skirted questions earlier this week on whether he still plans to dismantle FEMA or shift its core responsibilities to state governments. “I’ll tell you some other time,” he told a reporter on Tuesday.
Local infrastructure and preparedness have also come under fire. Kerr County previously declined to implement an early-warning system, citing failure to secure state funding. Longtime Kerrville resident Lawrence Walker, 67, said the response improved only after water levels surged. “It’s been fine since the water was at 8 feet,” he noted, but criticised the lack of prevention efforts.
Governor Abbott has rejected any blame for the flood’s impact. “That’s the word choice of losers,” he said in response to inquiries about accountability.
Texas lawmakers are expected to hold a special session later this month to investigate the disaster and allocate relief funds.
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