Joe Biden was criticized heavily for his short and blasé response to the devastating wildfire that engulfed Maui. Hawaii fires have inflicted some $6 billion in damages, with at least 100 people dead. There are around 1,000 people still missing, making it one of the deadliest wildfires in American history.
Joe Biden couldn’t comment about the rising death toll while vacationing at Rehoboth Beach over the weekend. That would interrupt his vacation, which he needs after two days of work. The president did issue a federal disaster declaration, but the job goes beyond that, Joe. This isn’t hard; you couldn’t offer short remarks about the death and devastation that struck the state? In one weekend, Biden’s reputation for empathy got gutted. Amid the media attention, Biden relented, saying he would visit the island (via Fox News):
Today's cover: Joe Biden is indifferent to the Maui fires because he’ll win Hawaii anyway https://t.co/1M3ljKh1Xi pic.twitter.com/HiPgSP7uI0
— New York Post (@nypost) August 15, 2023
President Joe Biden said he will travel to Hawaii ‘as soon as I can’ to review recovery efforts from wildfires that swept across Maui and killed dozens of people https://t.co/yHVpzk3rSX pic.twitter.com/4TKe2kroH6
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 15, 2023
President Biden has authorized the federal government to deliver Hawaii "whatever it needs" for recovery efforts following devastating wildfires on Maui, he announced Tuesday.
Biden says he and first lady Jill Biden plan to visit Hawaii as soon as possible, but he does not want his arrival to get in the way of recovery efforts.
"I've spoken to Gov. Josh Green multiple times and reassured him that the state will have everything it needs from the federal government," Biden said. "I immediately approved the governor's request for an expedited major disaster declaration – that's a fancy word for saying whatever you need, you're gonna get."
"My wife Jill and I are gonna travel to Hawaii as soon as we can, and that's what I've been talking to the governor about. I don't want to get in the way. I've been to too many disaster areas, but I want to go and make sure they've got everything they need, and I want to be sure we don't disrupt the ongoing recovery efforts," he added.
They don’t want to be disruptive: they’re still going with that line. Or is it because the journey is extensive and Joe would be gassed from traveling, making way for a bad media spectacle for the White House, and is desperate to portray the president as active and cogent? No doubt, whenever Biden leaves the White House, plenty of gaffes are a possibility, but he’s the president and must go. Then again, I wouldn’t hold my breath that this would happen within the next few weeks. Whether it be a toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which Biden has yet to visit, or Hawaiian fires, this White House either dithers or fails concerning the little things. Was it that much of a mental exercise to offer condolences about the 99-plus who are dead, Joe? Entire communities have been destroyed, and there are reports that the emergency warning system never went off as the fire approached.
That’s for later; however, you could have said something, Joe, but instead, you said, “No comment,” and now you promise to visit the island at some point. Hopefully, that will happen sometime this year.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member