by Donald J. Trump asserted, without supporting information, that the Biden administration was avoiding assisting residents in Republican areas when a hurricane struck North Carolina last year. Earlier this year, as flames raged through Los Angeles, Mr. Trump blamed state and municipal Democrats for the disaster by making untrue claims on water use laws.
However, Mr. Trump warned against blaming anyone following last week’s devastating flood that ravaged Texas and killed at least 100 people.
As he departed his golf club in Bedminster on Sunday, the president told reporters, “This is a 100-year disaster, and it’s just so terrible to watch.”
He dodged questions about whether his administration’s efforts to reduce federal agencies, such as the National Weather Service, contributed to the catastrophe.
Mr. Trump remarked, “What a situation that all is.” Before saying, “That was really the Biden setup,” he seemed to be about to accuse President Joseph R. Biden Jr. We didn’t set that up. However, I also wouldn’t hold Biden responsible.
In contrast to his predecessors, Mr. Trump has not shied away from embracing politics when significant natural disasters strike. He told advisers during his first term that he didn’t want to transfer money to Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria because he believed the island’s administration was corrupt. Following the outbreak of wildfires in 2018, he threatened to withhold federal funds from California.
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