President Biden has once again refrained from commenting on the devastating wildfires that swept through Maui last week, sparking widespread frustration among social media users.
Last Thursday, the President faced questions from reporters about his impending visit to the disaster-stricken state. This comes amid ongoing criticism of his response to the calamity that has claimed at least 111 lives to date. Despite previous backlash for his silence, Biden continued to sidestep questions about his trip.
When asked about his upcoming journey to Hawaii, Biden replied, "No, not now. Im going to be leaving, and Ill be there on Monday," before departing, leaving further questions from the press unanswered.
His evasive response drew sharp criticism from social media users. Conservative commentator Steve Guest tweeted, "Joe Biden should have gone with, No comment," while his colleague Kate Hyde humorously suggested, "Biden hasnt been briefed on Hawaii. He thinks he and Jill are going for vacation, no one told him its for disaster relief yet. Please leave him alone."
Red State columnist Buzz Patterson referred to the President as a "Buffoon," while Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen tweeted, "Truly he cant speak." Media personality Graham Allen added, "Biden probably has NO CLUE that he's even going to Hawaii!!" Social media influencer ALX sarcastically declared, "Most transparent administration."
Bloomberg's Justin Sink reported on Sunday that Biden had initially responded with "no comment" when questioned about the escalating death toll in Lahaina, Maui. Sink's account was later corroborated by video footage showing Biden pausing briefly before responding and boarding his vehicle.
In the face of mounting criticism, Biden announced during a speech on Tuesday that he and First Lady Jill Biden were planning to visit the affected area. "My wife Jill and I are gonna travel to Hawaii as soon as we can, and that's what I've been talking to the governor about. I don't want to get in the way. I've been to too many disaster areas, but I want to go and make sure they've got everything they need, and I want to be sure we don't disrupt the ongoing recovery efforts," Biden said.
The White House also defended the President's response, asserting that Biden was employing a "whole-of-government" approach to assist with the wildfires. "The Biden-Harris Administration has mobilized a robust whole-of-government response effort to support immediate and long-term rescue and recovery efforts in Maui, Hawaii," a spokesperson stated.
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