Former President Donald Trump called out President Joe Biden in a video Monday for saying "no comment" when asked about the deadly wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui that officials confirm killed 99 to date with hundreds of people still missing.
"Our government was not prepared, and very importantly, the aftermath is going very poorly," Trump said in a video post on social media site X Monday. "Crooked Joe Biden, the most incompetent president in the history of our country, with a laugh and a smile, said that he had 'no comment' on the death and the tragedy."
While Trump said there are times that response is appropriate, using it in this situation was "horrible and unacceptable."
"It is a disgraceful thing that Joe Biden refuses to help or comment on the tragedy in Maui just as he refused to help or comment on the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, for a very, very long time."
Wildfires raged through some 2,800 acres on Maui Aug. 8, flattening the town of Lahaina on the coast fueled by hurricane-force winds exceeding 70 mph, the New York Times reported.
Biden was asked about the situation while returning to Washington, D.C., Sunday from his beach home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and said he had "no comment," ABC News reported.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to criticism of his remark Monday, saying Biden is "deeply concerned" about the fires and the devastation they caused, the report said.
"He's going to make sure the state has everything it needs from the federal government to recover because he is deeply concerned, and he's going to continue to be there for the government of Hawaii for as long as it takes," she said.
The news outlet reported that 300 Federal Emergency Management Agency employees are on the ground on the island and have provided 50,000 meals, 75,000 liters of water, 5,000 cots, and 10,000 blankets, to victims there.
"As residents continue to mourn the loss of their friends, their loved ones, their neighbors, the loss of their homes and their way of life, we know, and let them know that we are mourning with them," FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said as she joined the daily press briefing virtually from the island. "Nothing can prepare you for what I saw during my time here, and nothing can prepare them for the emotional toll of the impact that this severe event has taken on them."
In his video, Trump expressed support for the victims.
"Hopefully, everyone will be able to pull together so that a horrible situation does not get even worse," Trump said. "To the families affected, I give you my love and sympathy. Nothing can ever replace your loved ones, but you will always have their memories and feel their great love surrounding and embracing you."
Charles Kim ✉
Charles Kim, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years in reporting on news and politics.
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