President Donald Trump visited Texas’ Hill Country on Friday, where at least 120 people — including dozens of children — died in catastrophic flash floods on July 4. Touring Kerr County, the hardest-hit area, Trump praised the efforts of Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, calling their response “incredible.”
During a roundtable discussion, Trump pushed back strongly against questions about whether the disaster response was delayed or inadequate. When a reporter raised concerns from affected families, the president lashed out: “I don’t know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that.”
The administration and state officials have come under scrutiny for not issuing timely warnings. Critics pointed to past budget cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), questioning if those reductions impacted preparedness. Administration officials denied any link between cuts and forecasting capabilities, despite staffing shortages in some local offices.
Trump avoided directly answering questions about long-term plans to downsize FEMA or shift its responsibilities to states. “I’ll tell you some other time,” he said when pressed.
Local factors have also drawn criticism. Kerr County previously failed to implement an early-warning system due to lack of funding. Longtime resident Lawrence Walker, 67, said disaster prevention had been underfunded for years. “It’s been fine since the water was at 8 feet,” he remarked wryly.
The Texas legislature will hold a special session this month to investigate the disaster and allocate relief funds. Governor Abbott, however, dismissed blame entirely, saying such talk was “the word choice of losers.”
Meanwhile, search and rescue teams continue to sift through debris along the Guadalupe River. As of Friday, more than 160 people remained unaccounted for, although officials caution the missing list may be inflated. No new survivors have been found since the initial rescue efforts.
The floods struck with terrifying speed — over a foot of rain fell in under an hour, causing the Guadalupe River to swell from 1 foot to 34 feet in just hours. The surge obliterated trees, homes, and campsites, including the historic Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp where many of the victims were staying.
Despite the tragedy, some residents defended the emergency response. Jon Moreno, 71, whose home escaped the floods, said the government did what it could. “It’s unavoidable,” he said. “People build along the river — it’s too dangerous.”
Still, frustration simmers. At a gas station in Kerrville, graffiti in large white letters blamed the president’s tax and spending bill — signed the same day as the flood — for slashing “our emergency funding.”
The disaster marks the deadliest event of Trump’s term so far, and with dozens still missing and tensions rising, questions about accountability and preparedness continue to mount.
