President Donald Trump on Sunday said he will visit the site of the devastating Texas flash floods “probably on Friday” as the deluge has prompted scrutiny of the cuts his administration has made to key government agencies that could have played a role in the response to the tragedy.
The high death toll has led to questions about the state’s preparedness as well as the administration’s cuts to the National Weather Service where the loss of experienced staffers may have hurt its response and coordination with local officials on the flash floods, according to The New York Times.
Speaking to reporters in New Jersey ahead of boarding Air Force One, Trump, who spent his day golfing, disputed the suggestion that the cuts had an effect.
“No, no they didn’t,” Trump said, speaking alongside Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“I would just say this is a hundred-year catastrophe and it’s just so horrible to watch,” he continued.
Asked if he plans to visit the state, Trump replied: “Probably on Friday. We wanted to leave a little time. I would have done it today, but we’d just be in their way.”
Trump later hedged when asked if he would support hiring back some of the meteorologists that were fired over the past few months.
“I wouldn’t know that,” he said. “I would think not. This was the thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it.”
Over the weekend, Trump signed a major disaster declaration to “ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need.”
“These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders.”
The flash floods that started early Friday have killed at least 82 people, including 28 children in Kerr County, local officials said. The death toll is expected to rise as authorities continue to search for those missing. Camp Mystic, which is located in Kerr County, on Monday confirmed 27 of its counselors and campers died in the floods. It’s unclear if all of these people were already accounted for in the figures previously provided by the state.