Texas Floods: Trump Tours Devastation, Defends Officials Amid Criticism

President Donald Trump toured flood damage in Texas, praising state and local officials despite criticism of their response to the disaster. Trump, who has promised to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency, struck a somber tone, highlighting the tragedy and praising first responders. He met with families of victims and visited a summer camp where 27 people were killed.

President Donald Trump visited Texas today to inspect the devastation caused by catastrophic flooding that killed at least 121 people, including dozens of children at Camp Mystic. The visit comes amidst growing scrutiny over the response of local and federal officials to the disaster.

Trump's trip to Texas coincides with a week since heavy rainfall caused the Guadalupe River in Kerr County to rise 26 feet in less than an hour, resulting in widespread flooding and loss of life. The president and first lady Melania Trump will tour flood-affected areas, meeting with first responders and families of victims.

Despite criticism of local officials' response time and FEMA's role, Trump struck a somber tone, emphasizing the tragedy. "It’s a horrible thing" what happened, he said, while avoiding criticism of how the crisis was handled. Instead, he praised Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican and strong ally of the president.

The White House has defended the administration's cuts to the National Weather Service, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating, "Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning" [1].

Trump's visit also comes as he has extended a major disaster declaration to more Texas counties, making eight additional counties eligible for financial assistance for recovery efforts. The president has not addressed whether he is still aiming to phase out FEMA.

The trip underscores how tragedy can complicate political calculations, as the Trump administration has lessened its focus on its pledges to shutter FEMA and return disaster response to the states.

References:
[1] https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-heads-texas-after-catastrophic-flooding-avoiding-criticism/story?id=123650032
[2] https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-7-11-2025