Featured Image Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Texas floods, US News
Callum Jones
Topics: Donald Trump, Texas floods, US News
Donald Trump has been slammed for 'disrespectful' comments about the Texas floods after previously making a remark that made people 'want to throw up'.
At least 129 people have died as a result of flash flooding in central Texas, with rescue teams continuing to look for more than 150 people.
The floods have swept away mobile homes, vehicles, and holiday cabins, which were being used by Americans celebrating Independence Day.
Officials said one month’s worth of heavy rain fell in a matter of hours, leading to the Guadalupe River rising to the dangerous level of 26 feet.
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On Friday (July 11), President Trump visited the site of the catastrophic floods, while he also sat down with his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, on Fox News' My View to discuss the tragedy.
Trump was asked to provide a message to the families of those who had lost loved ones, to which he said: "There can be nothing worse, losing a child. Maybe they should've had bells or something go off. But it's pretty dangerous territory when you think of all the times they have had this problem."
The statement has been dubbed as 'disrespectful' by some people online, while other comments the president made about the Texas flood have also received a fair bit of criticism.
Speaking to reporters in Kerrville on Friday, Trump said: "Following a torrential downpour the worst that anyone has ever seen, Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in less than 45 minutes, and I even heard it went well over 30 feet.
"There is one story, where one person said it had to be 60 feet at one moment.
"This is like a giant, giant wave in the Pacific Ocean, that the best surfers in the world would be afraid to surf."
Many social media users didn't take kindly to Trump’s way of describing the tragic event and have admitted to being bemused at the analogy.
One Twitter user simply wrote: "This makes me want to throw up."
Another added: "Trump’s out here describing floods like they’re a ride at an amusement park. Meanwhile, people are drowning."
While a third mocked Trump by commenting: "I didn't realize how terrifying it must have been until I realized that even surfers wouldn't surf it!"
During his visit to the disaster site, Trump said: "I've never seen anything like it."
His wife, First Lady Melania Trump, was also in attendance and told the families of the victims: "My deepest sympathy to all of the parents who lost beautiful young souls.
"We are grieving with you. Our nation is grieving with you."