WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has avoided talking about his plan to scrap the federal disaster response agency after the catastrophic flash flood in Texas that killed more than 100 people, including children attending a girls-only camp.
Asked shortly after the disaster whether he still intended to phase out the , Trump said it wasn't the right time to talk about it. Nor did he mention such plans during a nearly two-hour meeting with his Cabinet on Tuesday.
The Republican president instead opened the meeting by having Homeland Security Secretary talk about her visit to Kerrville, Texas, on Saturday, a day after floodwaters swept away riverside campers and homeowners in the wee hours of the Fourth of July holiday.
Her voice breaking, she recounted leading the federal response, telling the meeting that she was overcome with emotion during the trip and had “kind of fallen apart.â€
“Very emotional," she said, “but also just so tragic.â€
Noem said “Texas is strong†but insisted that, “we, as a federal government, don’t manage these disasters. The state does. We come in and support them, and that's exactly what we did here in this situation."
“We’re cutting through the paperwork of the old FEMA streamlining it, much like your vision of how FEMA should operate,†Noem said of Trump’s promise to scrap the agency. Noem added, that Americans helping one another after such tragic events is proof that “God created us to take care of each other.â€
Trump will go to the scene
Trump said his wife, first lady , will accompany him when he visits Friday. It will be his second trip to survey the wreckage of a natural disaster. After he returned to office in January, Trump visited and the aftermath of California's wildfires.
Noem said first responders were “still looking for a lot of little girls†who remain missing after Camp Mystic, a , was swamped by the floodwaters, and she described gut-wrenching scenes of parents pulling their children's belongings out of the mud.
“The parents that were looking for their children and picking up their daughters' stuffed animals out of the mud and finding their daughter's shoe that might be laying in the cabin and, just hugging and comforting people matters a lot,†the secretary said.
“I’m extremely grateful for God’s hand in that whole situation because hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people were saved,†she said. “And and this is a time for all of us in this country to remember that we were created to serve each other.â€
Trump compared what happened to the breach of a dam, saying that when you see one break "it's not a pretty sight and wipes out everything. And this is the kind of thing that built up so fast.â€
A wall of water slammed into camps and homes along the edge of the before daybreak Friday, pulling people out of their cabins, tents and trailers and dragging them for miles past floating tree trunks and cars. Some survivors were found clinging to trees.
More than 100 people were killed, including at least 27 campers and counselors. Officials said Monday that 10 campers and one counselor still have not been found. Texas Gov. later said that at least 161 people are still missing.
Talk of abolishing FEMA is muted
The flood and its devastation appear to have, for the moment, tamped down talk by Trump and Noem of , which helps states respond after hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters by providing food, water and temporary housing and federal financial and other assistance.
“We want to wean off of FEMA and we want to bring it down to the state level,†Trump said in June during an Oval Office appearance with administration officials to talk about preparations for summer wildfires.
Trump and Noem have repeatedly signaled their desire to overhaul, if not completely eliminate, the 46-year-old agency. While bipartisan support exists for overhauling its operations, experts say dismantling the agency completely would leave gaps in crucial services and funding.
Trump has accused the agency of political bias, suggesting people in western North Carolina, which was hit hard by Helene, weren't helped as much as they could have been under his Democratic predecessor, . He has said he wants to extract concessions from California's Democratic governor, , in return for disaster assistance.
The president signs a ‘major disaster’ declaration
Asked on Sunday if he still planned to phase out FEMA, Trump brushed off the reporter's question.
“Well, FEMA is something we can talk about later but, right now, they're busy working so, we'll leave it at that,†he said before departing New Jersey to return to the White House.
He signed a major disaster declaration for Texas, allowing the federal aid to flow.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt gave an indirect answer on Monday when she was asked by reporters about the president's phase-out plans.
“The president wants to ensure American citizens always have what they need during times of need, whether that assistance comes from states or the federal government, that’s a policy discussion that will continue,†she said. “And the president has always said he wants states to do as much as they can if not more.†She commended the “tremendous job†being done by Texas officials.
Trump in January created a and issue a report, which is due in November.
