Biden arrives in Hawaii to a grieving and bitter crowd
The US president arrived in Maui on Monday, only to be ravaged by a deadly fire. Some have criticized him for not speaking out publicly enough about the disaster.
Joe and Jill Biden arrived in Hawaii on August 21, 2023.
AFP
Joe Biden, taking on his familiar “comfort-in-chief” role, arrived on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Monday with some bitterness in the face of the devastating fire and drama administration. Officers.
The US President interrupted his vacation in Nevada (West) and landed a little later at 11:00 am local (11:00 pm in Switzerland) on the island of Maui in the Pacific archipelago with his wife Jill Biden. After flying the helicopter over the devastated areas, he must meet with families, rescuers and local authorities.
Maui residents are mourning the deaths of at least 114 people, and the toll could rise as frantic search operations continue nearly two weeks after the blaze.
“It’s going to be an emotional day,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton said when asked how the 80-year-old Democrat would be greeted by families and recovery groups. The Honolulu newspaper Star Advertiser warned, “It’s not clear that Biden will get a warm welcome from some groups on Maui. Responding to some criticism from Republican opposition, Olivia Dalton said, “The president has been there since day one to lead a response that includes the entire federal government.”
Joe Biden, who has made compassion his best political symbol to the point of being described as America’s “comforter in chief,” has been criticized for not talking publicly enough about the disaster.
“no comment”
The right-wing in particular has widely shared the images from a week ago on social networks. Joe Biden, relaxed, was being questioned by a reporter about the increasing number of fires as he returned from the beach. “No comment,” he says before getting into the car.
The US president has since made multiple press releases and promises of aid. The White House also insists it took one hour to declare a major natural disaster in Hawaii on August 10 at the request of local officials.
The Democrat will also appoint a federal coordinator for the Titanic-promised reconstruction effort. A thousand people are still unaccounted for, some of whom may add to the death toll.
Presidential picture
Critics also concern the response of local authorities. The president’s visit comes days after the head of Maui’s crisis management organization resigned after being accused of not sounding warning sirens during a wildfire that destroyed the West Coast town of Lahaina (population 12,000). Island.
Some of the shocked residents jumped into the sea to escape the fire. “Would I have liked the sirens going off? Absolutely,” Gov. Josh Green said Sunday, while explaining that they were “historically” not used for fires, but for tsunamis and hurricanes.
Faced with a sense of abandonment, Joe Biden must not repeat the mistakes of his predecessors. If these visits to the public are necessary after a disaster, they can harm the president’s image.
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, President George W. The photo of Bush flying became a symbol of a disconnected administration. Donald Trump was photographed casually throwing away rolls of paper towels during a 2017 visit to Puerto Rico after the hurricane.
Hawaii fires are already the deadliest in the United States for more than a century. And the final balance may be too heavy. About 85% of the affected area was covered by “an army” of rescuers and sniffer dogs, searching for bodies in the rubble, Josh Green said Sunday.
AFP
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