US President Donald Trump spoke to reporters in New Jersey on Sunday after flash floods wreaked havoc in central Texas. He was hearing reporters just fine until one of them asked him about federal cuts in the aftermath of the devastating floods in Texas.
“Democrats are blaming your federal cuts for the deaths over in Texas,” one reporter, who could be heard audibly projecting their voice, asked Trump. Trump leaned in to hear the question better but he decided to ignore the question.
“I can’t hear you,” he said, as he moved on to another reporter.
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What Trump said on devastating Texas floods
Asked later on if he had plans to look into whether the cuts at the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency left key positions vacant, Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick shook their heads.
“They didn’t,” Trump said. “I’ll tell you: You look at that water situation, that was really the Biden setup. That was not our setup. But I wouldn’t blame Biden for it either; I would just say this is a hundred-year catastrophe, and it’s just so horrible to watch.”
Trump also appeared unsure when asked whether the federal government should hire back any of the meteorologists who were gutted in the administration’s slash-and-burn approach to downsizing by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Trump was also asked if any meteorologists who lost their jobs this year would be hired back.
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“I wouldn’t know that. I really wouldn’t. I would think not,” he said. “This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it, nobody saw it. Very talented people are there and they didn’t see it. I guess they said once in a 100 years they’ve never seen anything like this.”
He continued, “So, I wouldn’t, uh, I mean people are trying to blame the school they’re trying to blame the camp. They’re trying to blame… it’s just a horrible thing. but no, I wouldn’t say that, no.”
Trump to visit Texas on Friday
Trump has stated he will “probably” visit the scene of the deadly Texas flash flood disaster this Friday. “We wanted to leave a little time. I would have done it today, but we’d just be in their way. Probably Friday,” Trump told reporters in New Jersey on Sunday.
The president later posted to Truth Social: “GOD BLESS ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH SO MUCH, AND GOD BLESS THE STATE OF TEXAS!”
Trump denied accusations on Sunday that previous cuts to emergency services budgets had impacted the floods or informing residents about the incoming danger.
“They did not,” the president said. “If you look at that water situation… that was really the (Joe) Biden setup, that was not our setup, but I wouldn’t blame Biden for it either. I would just say, this is a (one in a) hundred year catastrophe and it’s just so horrible to watch.”
Meanwhile, new rain has already started to swell waterways in Kerr County, the sheriff warned. Gov. Greg Abbott said flash flooding continues to pose a danger for several parts of Texas as “more heavy rainfall” is expected.
