First lady Jill Biden will accompany the president to Maui, the White House said. They will meet state and local leaders, first responders and survivors, as well as discuss next steps in the recovery effort, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
“The President continues to marshal a whole-of-government response to the deadly Maui fires, and he has committed to delivering everything that the people of Hawaii need from the federal government as they recover from this disaster,” Jean-Pierre’s statement said.
President Biden said Tuesday that he and the first lady would travel to Hawaii as soon as possible to survey the damage but that he didn’t want a presidential visit to “get in the way” of recovery efforts on Maui.
Before that, Biden had not publicly addressed the devastation since last Thursday, when he expressed support for victims of the wildfires and vowed that “every asset we have will be available to them.” While vacationing in Delaware on Sunday, Biden declined to answer a reporter’s question about the death count, which had then reached 93.
The president last week signed an emergency declaration and ordered federal assets sent to Maui, and White House aides noted that he has been keeping in touch with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D), Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell, and both of Hawaii’s senators, Mazie Hirono (D) and Brian Schatz (D).
However, Republicans have attacked Biden for largely staying out of the public eye since he expressed support for victims on Thursday, and for answering “no comment” when asked about the death count Sunday.
Former president Donald Trump’s campaign issued a video message on Monday evening, expressing sympathy for those affected while adding to the criticism of Biden’s response.
“To say no comment is oftentimes fine, but to be smiling when you say it, especially against such a tragedy as this, is absolutely horrible and unacceptable,” Trump said in the message.
As of Tuesday, more than 380 FEMA workers were on the ground, and the emergency agency had provided more than 50,000 meals, 75,000 liters of water, 5,000 cots and 10,000 blankets to the county government for distribution, according to the White House.
FEMA is offering temporary shelter in hotels and motels, federal workers are registering residents for a $700-per-household payment for survivors, and the government is working with community-led groups to reach all residents regardless of language or other barriers, Biden tweeted Monday.
