Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump visited Louisiana on Friday, as rescue crews and residents of the U.S. state worked to recover from historic floods that left 13 people dead.
Advertisement
Trump criticised Obama’s absence after his motorcade drove past piles of possessions and building materials ripped out of flooded homes en route to Greenwell Springs Baptist Church in a hard-hit portion of East Baton Rouge Parish.
“It’s okay”, said the billionaire who granted his followers of many autographs and selfies.
President Obama will visit the site of intense flooding in Baton Rouge, La., next week as part of the ongoing federal response to the natural disaster.
Trump apparently did not inform Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards of the visit, according to a statement issued by the governor’s office on Thursday.
Louisiana GOP Chairman Roger F. Villere, Jr. welcomed Trump to the state saying, “America is at sea without a captain and with Donald J. Trump’s visit, he’s showed that he’s willing to lead and govern all Americans”. The optics of Obama golfing while Louisiana residents languished in flood waters was striking.
“The president says he doesn’t want to come”.
“And I want to thank Mr. Trump for coming to Louisiana”.
But Edwards indicated he would prefer Obama wait at least a week before touring the affected areas, because such a visit would require heavy security and would pull away law enforcement officers now working on the recovery effort.
The White House has said Obama received regular updates about the flooding during his vacation in Martha’s Vineyard and has argued that a visit to Louisiana could interfere with recovery efforts by drawing away first responders.
Clinton, by contrast, has spent more than $75 million on advertising in 10 states since locking up her party’s nomination.
More than 86,000 people have already applied for federal aid due to the last floods.
She also noted that Obama sent his “A” team – Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Craig Fugate, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, earlier in the week to assess damage and talk to local officials.
“It was a good little boost for folks who are exhausted”, said Phinney, 42, a church maintenance supervisor whose father’s home flooded.
Trump and Pence toured the damage brought about the incredible 6.9 trillion gallons of rain that hit the area between August 8 and 14, according to CNN.
Advertisement
Hillary Clinton’s campaign said the Democratic presidential candidate will travel to Louisiana to view the devastation caused by recent flooding “at a time when the presence of a political campaign will not disrupt the response” – a shot at her rival Donald Trump.
