WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday will travel to Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey as the federal government continues a…
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will travel to Texas on Tuesday in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey as the federal government continues a large-scale emergency response to a storm that one top administration official described as “beyond comparison.”
The site of the visit hasn’t been finalized. And the White House, which on Sunday announced the travel plans, has stressed that the particulars could change, especially amid ongoing deluges and deadly flooding in Houston and other areas near the Gulf Coast.
“I will be going to Texas as soon as that trip can be made without causing disruption, ” Trump wrote on Twitter on Sunday. “The focus must be life and safety.”
Trump is still being graded on how he handles his first major natural disaster.
The president has monitored the developments from Camp David, convening multiple meetings with Cabinet officials and staying in close contact with state leaders. But his focus has also drifted to other issues, writing on Twitter about trade deals, the border wall and a political contest.
And presidents are always scrutinized for how and when they visit disaster zones. Former President George W. Bush, for instance, has admitted that it was a “huge mistake” for him to have been photographed in Air Force One flying over New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
But the federal government has already mobilized a massive response to Hurricane Harvey.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency prepositioned some 490,000 liters of water, 524,000 meals, 20,500 tarps and 60 generators in Texas and Louisiana. Around 5,000 federal employees are working in Texas to assist state and local emergency responders.
And that’s just the beginning.
“FEMA is going to be there for years, ” FEMA administrator Brock Long said. “This disaster recovery — this disaster is going to be a landmark event.”
That kind of response has earned plaudits from Gov. Greg Abbott, who lauded Trump for approving a disaster declaration ahead of landfall, within hours of Abbott submitting the request. He said that FEMA has “been very active and engaged.”
“Whatever we have asked for they have given us, ” Abbott told ABC.
But the challenge is working in an environment that Elaine Duke, acting head of the U. S. Homeland Security Department, described as “beyond comparison.”
Sen. Ted Cruz told Fox News on Sunday that local officials have been pushing the state and the feds for more “assets to do high-water rescues.” And boats, helicopters and other personnel have been assigned the task — if they can just get to the right spots.
“We are leaning hard, and we are getting enthusiastic cooperation, ” he told Fox News. “It’s just a logistical challenge.”
