The GOP nominee and his running mate Mike Pence, the governor of IN, spent about three hours Friday touring Baton Rouge, where flood waters have forced schools, roads and businesses closed for days.
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In the city of Denham Springs, where the insides of homes were now outside on front lawns, Trump shook hands with several residents who cheered his arrival.
“I’m not complaining in any way about our federal partnership”, Edwards said in a news conference Thursday.
“We’re glad you aren’t playing golf”, another person shouted in reference to President Obama playing golf throughout the week, yesterday with “Seinfeld” creator Larry David.
Obama’s trip won’t interfere with his summer vacation, as he was scheduled to return to Washington on Sunday. However, the presidents visit will require a number of Secret Service agents and assistance from local and state law enforcement officials that may be needed elsewhere.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson visited Louisiana yesterday and met with state and local officials to review the flood response, according to the White House. Louisiana traditionally vote Republican for president.
Obama will visit Baton Rouge Tuesday, the White House said.
The White House later confessed this was “bad optics”. “So I am not complaining in any way about our federal partnership”.
While Democratic Gov. Bel Edwards told Trump to not come merely for a photo op, he is welcoming a delayed visit of President Obama this week – which has permitted a vacationing President to complete a pre-planned vacation to Martha’s Vineyward. He criticized Obama for not having visited yet, making cracks about the president working on his golf game instead. When it was announced that #Donald Trump would be taking a trip to Baton Rouge, many questioned his motives, which were revealed during a meeting with reporters. “We implore anybody to come down and bring attention to this catastrophe because it’s going to take a lot of help from across the country in the way of donations and volunteers to make Louisiana whole”. The newspaper noted that Obama interrupted his two-week vacation on Martha’s Vineyard earlier this week to attend a fundraiser for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on the MA island. She refuses to go, claiming the relief effort “can’t afford any distractions” but her “heart breaks for Louisiana”.
A total of 20 parishes in the state have been declared declared a major disaster by the federal government.
“I asked him if he could wait until the response was over and we got into the recovery phase, which I predicted we would do over the weekend”.
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“In times of profound need, people need to see their president up close”, it implored. “A president’s presence can underscore the urgency of relief efforts”.
