Trump: Biden’s response to Maui fires ‘disgraceful’

Former President Trump blasted President Biden’s response to the Maui wildfires as “disgraceful” in a video message posted Monday evening.

“When asked about it today, as he was getting into a car, perhaps coming home from the beach, where he has been spending a great deal of time, crooked Joe Biden, the most incompetent president in the history of our country, with a laugh and a smile said he had no comment on the death and the tragedy,” Trump said in a video message.

“To say no comment is oftentimes fine, but to be smiling when you say it, especially again such a tragedy as this, is absolutely horrible and unacceptable,” he continued. “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.”

The White House faced criticism Monday over Biden being on vacation and offering a “no comment” this weekend during the devastating fires in Maui — which have caused nearly 100 deaths so far. The White House pushed back on the criticism Monday, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pointing to Biden’s interactions with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as evidence of him responding to the wildfires.

“The [FEMA] administrator has been there for two whole days, two whole days on the ground by the president’s request to make sure that the government has what they have, the local government has what they have, the people of Maui have what they have,” she said. “When you talk about a dozen agencies on the ground, helping and assisting … hundreds of FEMA personnel. That’s what — that’s what matters.”

Biden also signed a disaster declaration for Hawaii last week and ordered the military to assist with the wildfire response.

Trump also said the response to the wildfires was going “very poorly” and that the government was unprepared for the disaster.

“The sad thing is, it should never have happened,” he said. “Our government was not prepared. And very importantly, the aftermath is going very poorly with the governor of the island wanting to do nothing but blame it on global warming, and other things that just happen to pop into his head.”

The Maui wildfires were fueled by high winds caused by Hurricane Dora. The high winds combined with dry conditions allowed the fire to spread rapidly on the western side of the island. Experts have said climate change has played a role in wildfires, including the latest in Maui.