Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, Texas, US News, Texas floods
President Donald Trump labeled a journalist as ‘evil’ for asking a question regarding the Texas flash floods.
While millions spent July 4th celebrating, thousands of people in rural Texas were fighting for their lives after a devastating flash flood destroyed the area.
More than 150 people are still believed to be missing as another 129 people lost their lives in the deadly floods, with Kerr County the most badly affected.
Not only did homes and businesses get struck, but so did many young girls at Camp Mystic on the Guadalupe River, leaving many parents frantically wondering where their children are now that the water has subsided.
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While the true extent of the death toll has yet to be known, rescue and recovery operations continue on, as experts cited by the BBC pinpointed three reasons why the flash floods were so deadly.
Claiming that it’s a combination of volatile weather, unusual humidity and a hilly landscape, Kerr County citizens have been left picking up the pieces of their town in the wake of the horrific event.
In the midst of the floods, there has been unimaginable loss, but also questions and anger too.
Namely, many on social media blamed Trump for his DOGE budget cuts to the National Weather Service, which they believe led to minimal emergency warnings being issued to citizens before the floods hit.
A reporter wanted to get answers from the POTUS himself as he sat down with officials in Kerrville on Friday July 11.
However, Trump's response was less than friendly, and in true Trump fashion, he turned on the journalist.
When the president opened the session up for questions, the reporter who identified herself as from CBS News in Texas asked him about the lack of flash flood warning.
She asked: “Several families we heard from are obviously upset because they say those warnings, those alerts didn’t go out in time, and they also say that people could have been saved. What do you say to those families?”
To this, Trump started off calmly: “Well, I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances.”
However, he then tore into her, calling her ‘evil’.
“Only a bad person would ask a question like that, to be honest with you,” Trump said. “I don’t know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that.
“It’s easy to sit back and say, ‘Oh, what could have happened here or there, you know? Maybe we could have done something differently?’
"This was a thing that has never happened before."
Then, Conservative Rep. Chip Roy slammed the media for wanting to ‘point fingers’, calling the act something only ‘losers’ do.
“For all of the media clamoring to ask that ridiculous first question and try to point fingers, the governor said it best when he said pointing fingers is for losers,” he said.
It was reported that the National Weather Service issued two flood warnings overnight before the disaster hit the area, however, some officials, including Kerrville’s mayor, said they were not aware of the flooding until hours later due to it happening in the middle of the night.
The New York Times also reported that officials requested money for a flood warning system at least three times but were rejected by the state.
