In the wake of the devastating Maui wildfire, the deadliest in the United States in over a century, President Biden's response, or lack thereof, has sparked controversy.
The President, who was spending time on a beach near his Delaware residence, offered a terse "no comment" when questioned about the escalating death toll, which had reached 96 by late Sunday.
Bloomberg reporter Justin Sink, who was on the scene, shared the President's response on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "After a couple hours on the Rehoboth beach, @potus was asked about the rising death toll in Hawaii," Sink wrote. "'No comment,' he said before heading home," he added. Sink also posted a photograph of Biden, 80, relaxing with a group of people in the distance.
The Maui wildfire, now deemed Hawaii's worst natural disaster, is also the deadliest US wildfire since 1918. That year, the Cloquet fire in Minnesota and Wisconsin claimed 453 lives, according to data from the National Fire Protection Association.
Earlier on Sunday, during a bike ride, President Biden had given a similarly indifferent response to a question about the tragedy. "We're looking at it," he stated. Despite declaring a major disaster on Maui last week and promising immediate help for those affected, Biden's lukewarm responses have drawn criticism.
Monica Crowley, former US Treasury Department assistant secretary for public affairs during the Trump administration, was among those who voiced their disapproval. "Biden doesn't give AF [a f--k] about the suffering people of Maui," Crowley tweeted. She also criticized the President's response to other crises, including a toxic spill in East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this year.
Kari Lake, a Republican who lost her 2022 bid to be Arizonas governor, also lambasted the President. "One of the most beautiful places on earth has been reduced to cinders. In Delaware: @JoeBiden can't be bothered to care," Lake wrote on X. She compared Biden's actions to the infamous tale of Nero fiddling while Rome burned.
Stephen Miller, an editor at conservative outlet The Spectator, pointed out that Biden had recently returned from a 14-day beach vacation and had spent only four days in Washington, D.C. before returning to the beach. He criticized the President's silence on the wildfires that had devastated entire communities.
Another commentator compared Biden's response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. "Biden in a nutshell. East Palestine: No comment. Maui: No comment. Ukraine: send them another 24 billion," the X user wrote.
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