Clinton and Republican Candidate Donald Trump had been conspicuous by their lack of comments on the flooding in Louisiana until Friday.
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A day after striking a more conciliatory tone and expressing rare “regret” for provocative remarks, Trump basked in the appreciation of a group of aid volunteers gathered at a Baton Rouge church.
She released a statement Friday on Facebook, saying she had just spoken to the state’s governor and in a veiled reference to Trump, she said, “My heart breaks for Louisiana, and right now, the relief effort can’t afford any distractions”. Further details will be announced in the coming days.
“We welcome him to (Louisiana), but not for a photo op”, the governor’s office said in a statement.
Representatives for Trump’s campaign, which canceled a roundtable discussion on immigration in NY to make the trip, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Republicans have questioned why Democratic leaders including President Barack Obama have not been more active in supporting and highlighting Louisiana, but Edwards defended the White House.
“I will tell you he was very gracious and a good listener”, Sheriff Wiley said.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards’ office said Trump had not called to discuss plans for his visit, but that the NY businessman was welcome to volunteer or make a sizable donation towards helping victims.
“I’ve had a great history with Louisiana”, Trump told reporters, notes ABC News.
He also boosted the morale of those who are affected by these floods before he left Louisiana early in the afternoon and flew to MI.
The flooding in the area – brought on by 6.9 trillion gallons of rain that pummeled Louisiana last week – damaged more than 40,000 homes and killed at least 13 people.
Edwards says he won’t be involved in Trump’s visit, and while he said in an interview Thursday that the president is “welcome to visit”, he’d prefer that the president wait.
Some Louisianans and others, using the hashtag #wheresobama and #laflood on Twitter, had urged Obama to visit, and Baton Rouge’s newspaper, The Advocate, voiced a similar view in an editorial published on Wednesday. Earlier this week, he tapped Stephen Bannon, a combative conservative media executive, as his new campaign chief. “I have done that”, the GOP nominee said, reading from prepared text.
Trump’s own visit was a departure for the candidate, who has largely avoided the kind of unscripted, intimate interactions that power most candidates’ early primary campaigns.
“It helped shine a spotlight on Louisiana and the dire situation that we have here that it was helpful”, Edwards told CNN’s Dana Bash.
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He and running mate Mike Pence also stopped their motorcade to chat with volunteers who were preparing meals for flood victims at a local Baptist church.
