US President Donald Trump defended his administration's response to the recent floods in Texas during a visit he made yesterday to the state. He inspected the damages and met with the victims' families in the city of Kerrville.
Trump's visit comes at a time when federal flood response is facing questions and criticisms, especially after previous calls he made to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as reported by the American site "Axios".
During a press conference held during the visit, attended by several Republican leaders in Texas, Trump affirmed that his administration "is doing everything possible to help Texas", noting that the emergency assistance request submitted by the state to the federal government was approved "in about two minutes".
He also explained that over 400 federal personnel were deployed in the state to assist in relief efforts, resulting in more than 1500 rescue operations carried out so far.
Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and several local officials continue to praise Trump's response, as he was warmly welcomed during his visit to the affected areas.
Nevertheless, the federal response remains under scrutiny, as CNN reported that FEMA search and rescue teams were not deployed to Texas until more than 72 hours after the floods occurred.
It is worth noting that during the visit, Trump stated that the United States is in the process of selling weapons to its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to be delivered to Ukraine, coinciding with international developments in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Fears have escalated after media reports, including CBS News, confirmed that the death toll from the floods has reached at least 121 people, with over 170 others missing a week after the disaster.
On the same Friday, Trump approved Governor Abbott's request for federal disaster assistance, covering various aspects such as providing temporary housing for affected citizens and repairing damaged homes.
Trump had declared a "major disaster" in the country on Sunday, just two days after the floods hit the state on July 4th.
At the end of his visit, Trump did not answer journalists' questions regarding the government's responsibility for the extent of the damages or the reasons for inadequate warnings to residents before the floods. However, he stated that his administration is taking "historic measures to ensure such a nightmare is not repeated".