Skip to main content
Updated Aug 22, 2023 - Politics & Policy

Biden vows to help Hawai'i rebuild from fires for "as long as it takes"

Rebecca Falconer
President Joe Biden and US First Lady Jill Biden participate in a blessing ceremony with the Lahaina elders at Moku'ula following wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 21, 2023. The Bidens are expected to meet with first responders, survivors, and local officials following deadly wildfires in Maui.

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Monday participate in a blessing ceremony with Lahaina elders at Moku'ula, two weeks after Hawai'i's catastrophic wildfires. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

President Biden said while visiting the charred remains of thewildfire-devastated town of Lahaina on Maui Island that he's focused on rebuilding Hawai'i "for the long term and doing it together."

The big picture: Thirteen days on from the deadliest fires in the U.S. for over a century igniting, Biden promised the U.S. government would support Maui and Hawai'i "for as long as it takes," adding: "The whole country will be with you."

  • Some Republicans, including former President Trump, have accused Biden of not responding quickly enough to Hawai'i's worst-ever natural disaster, but the White House and state Gov. Josh Green (D) have defended him, saying he had provided support, but didn't want to disrupt recovery efforts by visiting earlier.
  • The White House announced earlier Monday that Bob Fenton, who is a Federal Emergency Management Agency leader of a region that includes Hawai'i, had been appointed FEMA's chief federal response coordinator for Maui to oversee long-term federal recovery efforts.
  • The fires have killed at least 114 people and Hawaiian officials said earlier Monday that some 850 others remained missing.

What he's saying: "We're going to rebuild the way the people of Maui want to build," said Biden as he stood beside Lahaina's historic banyan tree. "Not the way others want to build."

  • He doubled down on his promise during a meeting with fire survivors, saying: "I give you my word ... as long as I am president, your governor is governor, and ... your elected officials are there, we're not going to stop until it's done."
  • The president noted after visiting with first lady Jill Biden "what's left" of a seafront main street in Lahaina and surveying the wildfire damage from the air: "The devastation is overwhelming."

In photos: President Biden visits fire-devastated Maui

Biden is embraced by Hawai'i Gov. Josh Green as first lady Jill Biden looks on during a visit to an area devastated by wildfires in Lahaina on the island of Maui, Hawai'i, on Aug. 21. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Marine One, carrying US President Joe Biden, flies above wildfire damage in Lahaina on the island of Maui, in Hawaii on August 21, 2023. The Bidens are expected to meet with first responders, survivors, and local officials following deadly wildfires in Maui.
Marine One, carrying the Bidens, flies above wildfire damage in Lahaina on Aug. 21. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
President Joe Biden (2nd R), US First Lady Jill Biden (R), Hawaii Governor Josh Green (2nd L) and Jaime Green, First Lady of Hawaii, visit an area devastated by wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 21, 2023. The Bidens are expected to meet with first responders, survivors, and local officials following deadly wildfires in Maui
Hawai'i first lady Jaime Green (left), the state governor, President Biden and first Lady Jill Biden on Aug. 21 visit an area destroyed by the Lahaina fire. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
First Lady Jill Biden (hidden), Hawaii Governor Josh Green (2nd L) and Jaime Green, First Lady of Hawaii, visit an area devastated by wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 21, 2023. The Bidens are expected to meet with first responders, survivors, and local officials following deadly wildfires in Maui.
Biden looks at fire-damaged vehicles in Lahaina on Aug. 21. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
President Joe Biden (C) greets a rescue dog wearing protective boots as he meets with first responders during an operational briefing on response and recovery efforts following wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 21, 2023. The Bidens are expected to meet with first responders, survivors, and local officials following deadly wildfires in Maui.
Biden greets a first responder and a rescue dog wearing protective boots during an Aug. 21 operational briefing in Lahaina on the response and recovery efforts following the Lahaina fire. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden attend a community engagement event at the Lahaina Civic Center in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 21, 2023.
The Bidens attend a community engagement event at the Lahaina Civic Center in Lahaina, Hawaii on Aug. 21. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
US President Joe Biden receives a hawaiian lei during a community engagement event at the Lahaina Civic Center in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 21, 2023.
Biden receives a Hawaiian lei during a community engagement event at the Lahaina Civic Center on Aug. 21. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

More from Axios:

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

Go deeper