“Honestly, Obama ought to get off the golf course and get down there”, Mr Trump said at a campaign rally later in the day in MI, alluding to the President’s Wednesday golf game.
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“You’re going to rebuild”, Trump told an exasperated Louisianian.
“For the reasons that I stated earlier, because it helped to shine a spotlight on Louisiana and on the dire situation that we have here, that it was helpful”, Edwards said. Trump’s son Eric, meanwhile, told Fox News that Manafort “was wonderful”, but his father didn’t want to be “distracted by whatever things Paul was dealing with”. “Donald Trump hasn’t called the governor to inform him of his visit”, a spokesman for Edwards’ office said in a statement Thursday evening.
“We welcome him to LA but not for a photo-op”, the statement from Edwards’ office said.
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. Mr Obama signed a disaster declaration on Sunday, ordering federal agencies to help recovery efforts, but he has drawn criticism for his decision to remain on vacation rather than travel to the stricken southern state.
Edwards said he urged the president to wait a few weeks before visiting as the huge presidential security undertaking involved would interfere with recovery efforts.
Earlier Thursday, Trump moved to invest almost $5 million in battleground state advertising to address daunting challenges in the states that will make or break his White House ambitions.
The flooding, which began last week after record-breaking rains of more than 75 centimeters, has been described as the worst US disaster since Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
The Feds who can actually do something to ease Louisiana’s suffering, FEMA Director Craig Fulgate and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, are already in state.
In 2005, the media, many politicians, including Barack Obama, and just about everyone else bashed President George W. Bush unmercifully for his flyover of the New Orleans area devastated by Katrina. Entire neighborhoods must now contend with flood-hit homes.
The White House announced today that he will be coming in Louisiana to come take a look at the flood damage and do photo ops.
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.
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“My heart breaks for Louisiana, and right now, the relief effort can’t afford any distractions”, she said on Facebook, directing people to support organisations providing assistance.
