President Joe Biden landed in Kahului on the island of Maui on Monday, where he greeted local politicians with hugs, handshakes and condolences in light of the island’s devastating wildfires.
He and First Lady Jill interrupted their summer vacation at Nevada’s Lake Tahoe on Monday to visit Hawaii.
The president seemed more somber in tone than when he told a reporter he had “no comment” on the devastation of the inferno as he relaxed at his Delaware beach house last Sunday.
Biden was met with some protests from local residents who held signs with messages such as “he’s late,” “he should have been here much sooner,” and “actions speak louder than words.”
The death toll in Maui has risen to 114 – already making the inferno one of the deadliest in the nation’s history – and an estimated 1,000 people are still missing. Officials are still analyzing the factors that contributed to the massive inferno, including problems with the power grid.
Biden will visit those who lost their homes and loved ones during the disaster and will be briefed by government officials. The White House said it continued to receive briefings over the weekend, after Biden made a series of public statements about the disaster following his early stumbles.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greet Hawaii Governor Josh Green (C) upon arrival at Kahului Airport in Kahului, Hawaii
Biden (R) hugs Hawaii Governor Josh Green (2nd right) upon arrival at Kahului Airport in Kahului
Biden and First Lady Jill interrupted their summer vacation at Nevada’s Lake Tahoe on Monday to visit Hawaii
The president left behind a quieter environment — he rents the home of billionaire former presidential candidate and climate activist Tom Steyer on the east side of Lake Tahoe.
He was joined on that vacation by his son Hunter, who has dealt with the failure of his plea deal on tax charges, and whose investigation is now overseen by US Attorney David Weiss in the role of Special Prosecutor.
After being criticized for his “no comment” while on the beach, Biden has repeatedly referred to the tragedy.
He spoke at Camp David about the financial contributions from Japan and South Korea announced at the summit, after which he boarded Marine One to make his way to Nevada.
“I would like to begin by expressing my appreciation for the contribution your countries have made to the relief effort following the devastating wildfires in Hawaii. I want to thank you both on behalf of the American people,” he said. Biden also said that FEMA was preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Hilary in Southern California.
Biden and first lady Jill Biden take an aerial tour on Marine One over areas devastated by the Maui wildfires
President Joe Biden leaves Lake Tahoe to visit the victims of devastating wildfires in Maui. Here he departs August 19 from Our Lady of Tahoe Catholic Church in Zephyr Cove, Nevada
Biden is staying at the home of climate investor Tom Steyer. The White House said he rents it at a fair market value
Biden leaves Lake Tahoe Monday morning and then flies to Hawaii, with plans to return the same day
President Joe Biden thanked Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for their countries’ contributions to relief efforts in Hawaii
An estimated 1,000 people are still missing and the death toll has risen to 100. Biden plans to visit some of the devastation in Lahaina
On Thursday, he promised to offer Maui assistance “as long as it is needed” in a taped message that aired on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
“The whole nation is behind you as you recover, rebuild and grieve,” he said.
The wildfire that broke out in the city of Lahaina on August 8 is now the deadliest in more than a century and the fifth deadliest on record for the US.
“We will be with you as long as it takes, I promise you,” the president added. He noted that the federal government has already taken action to send hundreds of emergency workers and thousands of meals and supplies to the flame-ravaged historic tourist town.
Before Biden announced his visit, Republicans compared his lack of visits to eastern Palestine, Ohio — where a train derailed and spilled toxic chemicals, displacing hundreds of people. Biden had promised to visit the Ohio city, but never did.
Former President Donald Trump and other Republicans attacked him. Trump said he refused to “help or comment on the tragedy,” calling the moment “terrible and unacceptable.”
Search operations of areas damaged by wildfires in the city of Lahaina devastated by the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Maui, August 15
Biden first gave his “no comment” while staying on the beach near his Delaware home.
While being passed by reporters, he made a curt remark saying he was “watching it.”
Back at the White House, a reporter asked Biden at the White House, “Can you tell us about your trip to Hawaii?”
“No, not now,” Biden said, before staff finally released details.
The call came at a time when Biden might have preferred some distance from the press, following the appointment of special counsel for his son.
Biden and the first lady will travel to Maui on Monday to comfort survivors the devastating forest fires which tore through the western part of the Hawaiian island earlier this month as his government responds to the devastation, the full extent of which is still unknown.
The Bidens detour from their week-long vacation in the Lake Tahoe area for a day trip to Lahaina, a historic city of 13,000 people that was virtually destroyed by the flames. While there, the first few first responders will meet and be briefed by state and local officials on the ongoing response.
They will also view the damaged city, both from helicopters and on the ground, and the Democratic president will make remarks in honor of the victims of the wildfires that have taken place. killed more than 100 people since they started on August 8.
The president will also appoint Bob Fenton, a regional leader with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as chief coordinator for the Maui wildfires, ensuring that someone from his administration will be responsible for long-term recovery. It will take years to rebuild Lahaina where just about every building was destroyed.
“I know how profound loss can affect a family and a community and I know that nothing can replace the loss of life,” Biden said in a statement ahead of the trip. “I will do everything I can to help Maui recover from this tragedy. And in all our efforts, we are focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures and traditions.”
sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said as of Sunday about 85% of the affected area had been searched and nearly 2,000 people were without power and 10,000 without telecom connectivity. Water in parts of west Maui is not safe to drink.
While immediate relief such as water, food and blankets were readily distributed to residents, Schatz said cellphones, identification and other documents people would need to help them enroll in longer-term assistance programs were used in the fires. burned, which created more challenges. the application process.
According to the White House, more than 1,000 federal officials in Hawaii remain on site to respond to the wildfires. The government has distributed more than $8 million in aid to affected families.
Schatz, who will be with Biden as the president travels to his home state on Monday, stressed that officials are “still responding to the disaster” and “We are not yet in a recovery phase.”
“As bad as this looks, it’s actually worse,” he said in a telephone interview on Sunday. “What you don’t see is the damage to the utility infrastructure. What you can’t see are the thousands of kids trying to figure out how to go to school this fall. What you can’t see are the first responders who, with no regard for their own safety, went up in the flames and burned down their own homes.”
While vacationing in Lake TahoeBiden has been on the phone regularly with officials to receive updates on the response to wildfires, the White House said.