President Donald Trump is touring the devastation left by flash flooding in central Texas amid rising questions on how native officers responded to the disaster in addition to questions in regards to the federal response — together with the destiny of the Federal Emergency Administration Company — that he has up to now prevented.
Trump’s go to on Friday comes per week after heavy rainfall brought on the Guadalupe River in Kerr County to rise 26 toes in lower than an hour, killing not less than 121, together with dozens of kids on the close by Christian summer time camp, Camp Mystic.
“It is a horrible factor. A horrible factor. No person may even consider it,” Trump mentioned as he left the White Home on Friday morning with first woman Melania Trump.
“However we will be there with a few of the nice households and others, the governor, all people,” the president added.
Accompanying him to Kerr County, one of many hardest hit areas, are Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn.
Trump was greeted in Kerrville by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who earlier Friday mentioned the federal authorities up to date Trump’s catastrophe declaration for the state to incorporate extra counties. Trump and Abbott met with first responders on the scene earlier than Trump’s roundtable occasion with native officers.
Donald Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and First Girl Melania Trump meet with native officers and first responders close to the Guadalupe River following devastating flooding that ocurred within the space over the July 4 weekend, in Kerrville, Texas, on July 11, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP through Getty Pictures
Sen. Ted Cruz, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Sen. John Cornyn arrive at Kelly Area air base in San Antonio, Texas, en route to watch flood injury in Kerrville, Texas, July 11, 2025.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
The seek for greater than 170 individuals nonetheless lacking continues with greater than 2,100 responders on the bottom in Texas from native, state and federal companies.
In the meantime, native officers are underneath scrutiny about what steps had been taken to adequately warn individuals and the way lengthy it took for authorities to take motion primarily based on escalating climate and different alerts.
Trump, notably, hasn’t engaged in comparable criticism about how the disaster was dealt with — as he has performed within the case of different disasters.
“I might simply say it is a hundred-year disaster, and it is simply so horrible to look at,” Trump mentioned on Sunday.
As a substitute, Trump has largely centered on his relationship with Abbott — a Republican and powerful ally of the president.
“We have been in contact with Gov. Abbott, I am very near Gov. Abbott, and all people in Texas,” Trump mentioned on Sunday.
Donald Trump gestures alongside Melania Trump, as they arrive on Air Drive One at Kelly Area air base in San Antonio, Texas, en route to watch flood injury in Kerrville, Texas, July 11, 2025.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
It is a marked distinction to how Trump has reacted up to now, together with to the California wildfires earlier this yr, the place he blasted California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and different native Democratic officers.
A number of the hardest-hit areas of central Texas, together with Kerr County, are areas of robust Republican help that voted for Trump within the 2024 election.
Trump accepted a serious catastrophe declaration for Texas earlier this week. On Friday, it was expanded to incorporate extra areas affected by the floods.
Abbott mentioned throughout a information convention on Tuesday that he spoke with Trump that morning and obtained assurances that help can be offered.
“He couldn’t cease speaking about how unhappy he was for all of the little women who’ve misplaced their lives,” Abbott mentioned. “He recounted his personal understanding of what occurred with what was actually a tsunami wave, a wall of water, that swept too lots of them away.”
“And he cares loads about these younger women. And he needs to step up and make it possible for any want that we now have right here in Texas goes to be met in a short time,” Abbott continued.
A primary responder removes his hat to shake palms with Melania Trump, as she, Donald Trump and Greg Abbott go to a scene of devastation alongside the banks of the Guadalupe River, after catastrophic floods, in Kerr County, Texas, July 11, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
The White Home has pushed back heavily on criticism of the administration’s cuts to the Nationwide Climate Service, which led to some to query if staffing ranges or forecasting talents had been impacted.
“Blaming President Trump for these floods is a wicked lie, and it serves no goal throughout this time of nationwide mourning,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned from the briefing room podium on Monday.
Trump’s additionally prevented answering questions on whether or not he’s nonetheless aiming to part out FEMA.
Division of Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem, mentioned the federal response to the floods throughout a Cupboard assembly on Tuesday.
“We as a federal authorities do not handle these disasters, the state does,” Noem contended. “We are available and help them. And that is precisely what we did right here on this scenario. FEMA went to an enhanced stage instantly. However as quickly as you signed the main catastrophe declaration, we had been in a position to get them assets and {dollars} instantly, similar to you envisioned by way of state lot grants to assist them with cleanup. And we’re nonetheless there in presence.”
Donald Trump and Melania Trump greet first responders close to the Guadalupe River following devastating flooding that ocurred within the space over the July 4 weekend, in Kerrville, Texas, on July 11, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP through Getty Pictures
Later within the week, although, Noem went after FEMA throughout the Biden and different earlier administrations — alleging the company has suffered from “gross mismanagement and negligence.”
“The record of well-known failures is staggering,” Noem claimed in feedback to the FEMA Advisory Council, a job pressure designed to advocate reforms to the company, together with attainable dismantlement of the company because it exists at the moment. Trump appointed Abbott as a brand new member to the group again in April.
Appearing FEMA Administrator David Richardson had but to go to the affected areas in Texas as of Thursday afternoon.
ABC Information’ Luke Barr and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
