Trump travels to Florida to tour Hurricane Michael damage

by Jordan Fabian - 10/15/18 12:09 PM ET

President Trump on Monday traveled to Florida to tour damage wrought by Hurricane Michael.

Trump arrived in the morning at Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle, which had borne the brunt of Michael’s devastation. He heaped praise on Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), saying the governor “is doing an incredible job” with the storm response.

{mosads}”He gets it done. So Rick Scott, thank you,” Trump told Scott on the tarmac.

Scott is one of Trump’s close political allies and is currently running for Senate.

The president said the government’s top priority is providing food, water, power and safety to people who have lost their homes.

He marveled at the widespread damage the hurricane caused, with many homes and buildings having been flattened or taken off their foundations.

“You wouldn’t even know they had homes,” he said.

Trump viewed damaged areas of Mexico Beach and Panama City, Fla., from Marine One. Reporters trailing him in a separate helicopter spotted thousands of uprooted trees stacked in large piles and many homes with their roofs missing.

In Mexico City, the hardest-hit area, journalists could see an overturned water tower and a parking lot full of damaged 18-wheel trucks.

The rest of the president’s itinerary in Florida is unclear, though he is also expected to tour damage in Georgia as well.

The death toll has climbed to at least 19 people and dozens of others are still missing as a result of the hurricane, one of the most devastating storms to hit the southeastern U.S. More than 700,000 people remained without power across six states.

Updated at 1:10 p.m.

Tags Donald Trump