Trump’s vice presidential running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, joined him in Baton Rouge, the capital city of a state that is typically a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. What’s happened here is incredible. “A president’s presence can underscore the urgency of relief efforts”.
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Through the week, he has been briefed by Johnson, FEMA administrator Craig Fugate and his homeland security adviser, Lisa Monaco.
The White House announced that Obama will visit Tuesday, following days of criticism from some in the Southern state for the president continuing his New England vacation while many in Louisiana suffered.
Critics had complained that Obama was seen golfing on television alongside reports of flooding that has damaged tens of thousands of homes and killed at least 13 people.
Officials said about 40,000 homes were impacted by inundating waters and more than 86,000 people had so far registered for federal aid, with that number expected to grow.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said in a statement on Facebook: “My heart breaks for Louisiana, and right now, the relief effort can’t afford any distractions”.
The president and the first family arrived on the MA island August 6 for a 16-day vacation.
For some, however, his failure swiftly to pay a visit himself has evoked comparisons to President George W Bush’s much-criticised response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when at first he viewed the flooded region from the comfort of Air Force One.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, says he won’t be involved in Trump’s visit.
“He added that while the president can visit whenever he’d like, he’d prefer him to wait “a week or two” because such visits require local police and first responders to help block roads and provide security”, ABC News noted.
The time of the visit has not been determined.
According to journalists on the scene, Trump took a swipe at President Obama for his absence.
While high-profile visits to disaster areas are often assailed as glorified photo ops, they can also bring necessary awareness (and follow-up public and private sector support) to those in need. At a Baptist church later, a woman screamed “Thank you for coming, Mr. Trump” as he and Pence sat down with volunteers.
“The current flooding in Louisiana is the worst natural disaster to strike the United States since Superstorm Sandy”, Brad Kieserman, vice president for Disaster Services Operations and Logistics for the Red Cross, said in a statement. “Sometimes, presidential visits can get in the way of emergency response, doing more harm than good”, the outlet wrote.
SEE MORE: Why Aren’t We Talking About The Horrific Flood In Louisiana? The president’s visit there at this time could actually become a burden more than anything else.
That made the president look like a hypocrite.
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Obama came under fire for for remaining on vacation during historic flooding in Louisiana. When one state hurts, we all hurt.
