President Joe Biden is flying to posh Lake Tahoe on Friday for another summer break as the White House has still not announced plans to visit fire-ravaged Hawaii.
He did not answer questions on the matter when he returned to work Monday after a weekend at the beach, having avoided commenting on the tragedy over the weekend.
According to White House guidelines, the president will arrive in Lake Tahoe on Friday, August 18, and remain there until the following Thursday.
But it’s not yet known if he’ll head further west to see the billions of dollars in damage and visit the displaced residents of Maui, where wildfires swept through the area at up to a mile an hour.
President Biden returns to the White House Monday from a weekend at Rehoboth Beach and did not answer questions about the Hawaii wildfires
President Biden remained silent on the matter.
He did not answer reporters’ questions when he returned to the White House Monday afternoon after spending the weekend at his beach house in Rehobobo, Delaware. During that trip, he was criticized by the Republican for not commenting on the wildfires that killed 96 people.
The president was on his way to the beach with friends when he was asked about the rising death toll in Hawaii.
“No comment,” he replied.
Earlier, when he was cycling with his wife Jill, he was asked if he would visit the state.
“We’re looking at it,” he said.
Biden and his team may think they have other reasons for avoiding the press rather than addressing the national tragedy. On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that he had designated David Weiss as the special prosecutor investigating Hunter Biden. Prosecutors said in a filing Friday that they expected the case of the president’s son to go to trial.
Biden vacationed on Rehoboth Beach for a week earlier this month. He heads to Nevada for his second vacation on Friday after hosting a summit at Camp David with the leaders of Japan and South Korea.
The subject is the annual joint military exercises between the three nations, but the focus will also be on countering China and North Korea.
The White House has not said what Biden will do during his time in Lake Tahoe.
While in Rehoboth, he and the first lady rode bikes, sat on the beach, and even had a date night where they watched the movie “Oppenheimer.”
The Lake Tahoe freshwater area is known for its beach, ski resorts, and state parks. In the summer it is known for hiking, fishing, boating and golf. There are also plenty of places to shop.
Burnt trees and the ruins of homes are what remains after a fire that raged through Lahaina, Hawaii
Oprah Winfrey visited displaced homes in Maui
Meanwhile, Hawaii’s governor warned that the death toll is likely to rise as search teams move street-by-street through neighborhoods where the flames wreaked havoc.
“We are prepared for a lot of tragic stories,” Governor Josh Green told CBS Mornings. “They’ll probably find 10 to 20 people a day, until they’re done.” And it’s probably going to take 10 days. It’s actually impossible to guess.’
While cell phone service has slowly been restored, the number of missing people fell from more than 2,000 to about 1,300, Green said.
Biden approved one state emergency declaration, which releases federal bailout funds, and sending FEMA officials.
But those on the island are beginning to complain that federal aid is yet to come.
“The response from our well-funded, tax-paid government is incredibly pathetic,” said Paul Romero, a gym owner in Kihei.
He told The New York Times: ‘We can’t even understand what they did, what they didn’t do, what they still don’t do.’
The fire that swept through Lahaina nearly a week ago destroyed nearly every building in the city of 13,000 and left a mountain of rubble in the resort town. That fire is 85% under control, according to the province. Another blaze, known as the Upcountry fire, is 60% contained, officials told the Associated Press.
There is an estimated $5.6 billion in damage.
There is an estimated $5.6 billion in damage from the wildfire
Hawaii’s governor has warned that the death toll could rise from devastating fires
Many people have gathered at the War Memorial Gymnasium in Wailuku, which has served as a shelter. Among the visitors was Oprah Winfrey, who told Hawaii News Now she has provided personal hygiene productstowels and water in recent days.
The cause of the wildfires is under investigation, but the dry summer and winds from passing hurricanes fueled the flames, which swept across Maui.