The U.S.
Joe and Jill Biden took time out from their vacation in Lake Tahoe, Nevada to go and try to comfort Hawaiians who lost everything in the wildfires. Every week seems to be vacation week with the First Couple, though. Biden waited about two weeks to show up after essentially refusing to talk about the wildfires on Maui for at least five days when they began.
Even Democrats began to notice that it’s not a great look when the president says, “No comment” when he is asked for comments on the wildfires burning to the ground a small town like Lahaina. And the 114 lives lost. There are still about 1,000 people unaccounted for. Early estimates are nearly 3,000 homes and buildings burned to the ground or are damaged. The losses are around $6B. It is hard to wrap your head around such death and destruction on a tropical island.
When Biden doesn’t want to make a trip, he says he will go later, in order not to disrupt operations on the ground. That is what he did with East Palestine, Ohio (and he still hasn’t been there) and that is what people began to fear would happen to Lahaina. Why would Biden ignore the town, though, and Maui? Hawaii is Democrat country. Biden is supposed to be the comforter-in-chief for all Americans but we know how this story goes.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser warned Biden Sunday that his welcome may be less than a warm one from locals because of the slow response from the government. Residents are frustrated and angry that paperwork and red tape are slowing down the assistance they desperately need now.
While on the ground in Lahaina, state Rep. Elle Cochran, (D, Waihee-Lahaina- Lahainaluna), hopes the Biden visit does not cause too much of a disruption for a community in mourning and trying to restore service.
She has not heard anyone tell her “firsthand” that evacuees should not apply for FEMA aid, but said such sentiments follow years of “deep-seated fear.
