Critics are blasting Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after he spent less than six hours in Hurricane Helene-ravaged North Carolina on Thursday before jetting back to Washington, D.C., in time to beat rush-hour traffic, the New York Post reported.
He was then spotted picking up takeout from Nobu, a high-end Japanese restaurant known for its pricey sushi and steaks.
The quick trip and subsequent dinner didn't sit well with lawmakers.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., slammed Mayorkas, telling the Post, "This administration has completely failed the American people, again. It is offensive that the secretary is wasting time eating overpriced sushi rolls at fancy restaurants when he should be working to get disaster relief out the door immediately for the people in desperate need of basic necessities."
Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., whose state was hit hard this week by Hurricane Milton, said, "It just shows you that he's not a hands-on individual. He's shown over his last 3 1/2 years to be totally incompetent in his job."
Gimenez added, "He's been a complete failure as the secretary of Homeland Security, just as this administration has been a complete failure."
Even some Democrats took issue with Mayorkas' dinner stop, with one unnamed congressional source calling it, "the definition of insensitive and the epitome of elitism."
Another Democrat source told the Post, "During a hurricane, particularly a storm like Milton, the protocol is all hands on deck — 24/7 work to support the area that has been hit and to flex the competency of the administration amid crisis.
"However, it appears that when it comes to being a role model in crisis, Secretary Mayorkas thinks of sushi," the source said.
The back-to-back storms have killed nearly 250 Americans. Helene made landfall in Florida Sept. 26, devastating six states and killing at least 232 people. At least 16 others died when Milton hit Florida on Wednesday, causing more than $100 billion in damage.
Mayorkas spoke to reporters about hurricane recovery efforts for 23 minutes Thursday. And he dodged questions about an Afghan national indicted this week for plotting a terror attack on Election Day.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told the Post that Mayorkas had received multiple briefings with the Federal Emergency Management Agency during his North Carolina trip, and that he was picking up takeout to celebrate his wedding anniversary.
Kate McManus ✉
Kate McManus is a New Jersey-based Newsmax writer who's spent more than two decades as a journalist.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.