Texas politicians praise Trump's response to deadly floods
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Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios; Photos: Patrick van Katwijk and Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto via Getty Images
In the deadliest natural disaster since the Trump administration's layoffs and buyouts at federal forecasting offices, Texas officials are praising the president and deflecting questions about the possible effect of the cuts.
Why it matters: Questions about why the scores of people killed in the July Fourth floods were not adequately warned about the fast-rising Guadalupe River remain unanswered as authorities focus their efforts on finding missing people, including five girls from Camp Mystic.
Zoom in: On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott said Trump "cares a lot about those young ladies, and he wants to step up and make sure that any needs that we have here in Texas," will be met quickly.
- On Saturday, before updating a toll of the dead or missing in their press conference together, Abbott and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem each talked about Trump and how he was receiving the news.
- "He always tells me about his love for the state of Texas and his deep concern for them and I know he's feeling about that more than he ever has," Abbott said.
- After Trump approved a federal disaster declaration on Sunday, Abbott said, "The swift and very robust action by President Trump is an extraordinary help to our response."
Yes, but: Jousting has begun over whether blame should be laid at the feet of the president — or the National Weather Service or local officials or state lawmakers or camp directors.
- At a news conference Tuesday morning, Kerr County officials had a heated back-and-forth with reporters who asked who was responsible for the failure in communication. The county doesn't have alarms that warn people of imminent danger like in nearby areas also prone to flooding.
- The NWS office that covered the flooded area had five staff members working the night of the floods — a boost from the normal two — in anticipation of the severe weather.
- In a statement, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called criticism of the NWS' action and funding cuts accusations "shameful and disgusting" and accused critics of seeking to politicize a disaster.
The big picture: The federal response so far includes the deployment of U.S. Coast Guard personnel and federal law enforcement on the ground.
- On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a 90-day foreclosure moratorium on Kerr County homes.
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials announced Sunday that federal disaster assistance is now available — including grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses — but they did not respond to an Axios request about personnel and material dispatched to Central Texas.
What they're saying: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz wrote on X that "President Trump committed ANYTHING Texas needs," and said at a press conference: "There's a time to have political fights, there's a time to disagree. This is not that time."
The other side: "Their thoughts are, how do I avoid making sure that Donald Trump doesn't look at me as an enemy or a critic?" Rick Wilson, a co-founder of anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project, told The Guardian.
What's next: The president has said he plans to visit Kerrville on Friday.