President Trump and First Lady Melania met with families in the Texas Hill Country and praised first responders amid tense talks on flood disaster response.
KERRVILLE, Texas — President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited Kerrville Friday afternoon to meet with families of victims and tour areas devastated by flooding.
After spending extended time with families, Trump said he’s filled with grief and devastation for those who have lost loved ones, including a special mention of the girls at Camp Mystic.
“Dozens and dozens of precious children taken from us with such… I’ve looked at the pictures of almost all of them. It’s terrible,” Trump said during his remarks. “It’s amazing, the incredible spirit from those families. I don’t even know how they do it. Moments ago, Melania and I spent a lot of time with them.”
The first lady wore bracelets from girls who survived.
“Our nation, we mourn for every single life that was swept away in the flood and pray for the families that are left behind,” Trump said.
The president arrived behind schedule because he wanted to spend additional time with the victims’ families, according to reports from the scene.
He praised local first responders for their search and recovery work as well as cleanup efforts in the flood-damaged areas.
However, the roundtable discussion became contentious when federal and state officials discussed the disaster response. When questions arose about sirens and alert systems, officials redirected focus back to saving lives and recovering the deceased.
“Only a very evil person would ask a question like that. I think this has been heroism. This has been incredible, really. The job you’ve all done,” Trump said. “It’s easy to sit back and say, ‘Oh, what could have happened here, there, you know. Maybe we could have done something differently.'”
But many residents are demanding answers.
“I think this tragedy has shocked so many people. But I think you’ll see a different response this time,” Sen. John Cornyn told KHOU 11. “But I think what we need to do is come up with the best technology, the best practices to be most effective.”
Trump pointed out how quickly the federal response was when declared a major diaster for Texas.
Despite the federal assistance, tensions emerged regarding the future of FEMA and federal disaster response. State and federal leaders, including Governor Greg Abbott and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, talked about how it should be up to the states to decide how to handle disasters, with the federal government only coming to support them.