President Donald Trump on Friday held a information convention in Kerrville, Texas, concerning the disastrous flash flooding that has ravaged the state since July 4, solely to name a reporter “evil” for asking if extra well timed federal emergency alerts may have saved extra lives.
“A number of households we heard from are clearly upset as a result of they are saying these warnings, these alerts didn’t exit in time, they usually additionally say that individuals may have been saved,” said a reporter from CBS News Texas. “What do you say to these households?”
“I believe everybody did an unimaginable job underneath the circumstances,” Trump replied. “This was, I assume [Department of Homeland Security Secretary] Kristi [Noem] mentioned a one-in-500, one-in-1,000 years [disaster]. I simply have admiration for the job that everyone did.”
The flooding has devastated Central Texas. Authorities have confirmed at least 120 deaths throughout six counties and that at the very least 170 individuals stay lacking. Kerr County’s Joint Info Heart reportedly confirmed that 36 individuals who died there have been youngsters.
The Nationwide Climate Service said it issued two flood warnings in a single day earlier than the catastrophe hit.
Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. told CNN he “didn’t actually have a warning,” noting that round 8 p.m. on Friday he solely noticed a forecast for a “probability of rain.” He added that he misplaced two pals to the floods.
Trump nonetheless went on to tear into the reporter for asking him about impacted households.
“Solely a nasty individual would ask a query like that, to be sincere with you,” he continued through the alternate Friday. “I don’t know who you’re, however solely a really evil individual would ask a query like that. I believe this has been heroism. This has been unimaginable.”
The flooding was attributable to heavy downpour that made the Guadalupe River rise some 26 feet in less than an hour. The New York Times reported Saturday that the Nationwide Climate Service in San Antonio and San Angelo had vital vacancies when the storm hit.
Trump slashed roughly 600 positions on the authorities company earlier this yr.
“It’s simple to ask, to take a seat again and ask, ‘What may have occurred right here or there? Possibly we may have executed one thing in a different way,’” Trump mentioned Friday after scolding the CBS Information reporter. “This was a factor that’s by no means occurred earlier than.”
Trump was much more gracious after listening to from a reporter from conservative outlet Real America’s Voice, who thanked the president and other representatives on the occasion for his or her response to the catastrophe, and mentioned: “Effectively, that’s a pleasant reporter. That’s a pleasant query.”
