Donald Trump slammed President Joe Biden and Democratic Hawaii Governor Josh Green on Monday for what he believes to be their administrations’ “disgraceful” response to the wildfire in Maui.
At least 99 people have died in the fire and hundreds more are still missing, officials say.
“The sad thing is it should never have happened, 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 happened to pop into his head,” Trump said in a video message Monday.
Biden is also catching heat for being on vacation and offering a “no comment” when asked about the rising death tool in Hawaii.
“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,” Trump said. “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 long time.”
However, while Republicans criticized the president, he has been receiving praise from officials in Hawaii.
Green thanked Biden for sending federal emergency relief to the state in a matter of hours.
“We were honored to have the President jump to it so fast,” he said on MSNBC Sunday. “In 6 hours, he approved the presidential declaration. It was incredible. Within 6 hours. And so, that opened up, like you said, FEMA and amazing support for recovery.”
