FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said President Joe Biden will ‘bring hope’ to the people of Hawaii when he visits next week and blamed ‘traumatic events’ on the ground for the government’s slow response.
Criswell briefed Biden in the Oval Office on the devastating wildfires before she joined the White House daily press briefing, where she defended the administration’s handling of the situation.
‘This community is going through an amazing the traumatic events,’ she said. ‘We know that we need to get to everybody.’
She said people were scattered throughout the area, saying with friends and in shelters, making it hard to reach people. But she said staff from the Federal Emergency Management Agency ‘will continue to go out into the communities to make sure everybody that needs assistance can get assistance.’
The White House announced Joe and Jill Biden will visit Hawaii on Monday, as it has struggled to deal with the criticism of the president’s handling of the devastating fires on the islands.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Deanne Criswell brief reporters
‘The President and First Lady will travel to Maui on Monday, August 21 to meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state, and local officials, in the wake of deadly wildfires,’ the White House announced.
Biden said on Tuesday he wanted to visit the state when he wouldn’t disrupt rescue efforts. He was criticized earlier in the week for his refusal to comment on the fires that have killed more than 100 people.
And, during his speech in Milwaukee on Tuesday, the president appeared to forget the name Maui, referring to the island as ‘the one where you see on television all the time.’
Criswell will travel to Hawaii with the Bidens and she said he will ‘bring hope.’
‘I know when the president travels, he’s going to be able to bring hope,’ she said. ‘I think is going to really be a positive impact.’
She said Biden called Hawaii Gov. Josh Green when they were in the Oval Office talking about the situation on the ground and the upcoming visit.
‘Our biggest goal was to make sure that we weren’t going to disrupt the ability of our search and rescue teams to continue their operations,’ she noted.
‘And when I was just briefing the President and he spoke with the governor, he asked the governor if it’s an appropriate time.’
She said the Bidens will be in an area where rescue operations ‘will not be impacted.’
President Joe Biden will visit Hawaii on Monday along with first lady Jill Biden
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday pushed back at criticism of the president’s handling of the wildfires in Maui, insisting ‘we are taking this incredibly seriously.’
‘You’re going to continue to hear from the president. He’s eager to head out to Maui, to see for himself,’ she told CNN’s This Morning.
‘The president has mentioned, you heard him publicly say that the first lady and himself are going to be going to Hawaii, when we know they are not being disruptive,’ she noted.
Tuesday’s comments were Biden’s first major remarks on one of the deadliest wildfires in US history.
He countered criticism that his administration hasn’t done enough to help Maui by saying: ‘The Army helicopters helped fire suppression efforts on the Big Island because there’s still some burning on the Big Island — not the one that, not the one where you see on television all the time.’
The president was also accused of being insensitive over the weekend. He was in Rehoboth Beach with the first lady and on the way to the beach with friends when asked about the rising death toll in Hawaii.
‘No comment,’ he replied.
But Jean-Pierre argued Biden has dealt with a lot of natural disasters during his presidency and has shown up for the people in crisis.
‘Sadly, this president has had to deal with many disasters in the past two years. He has shown up and he has been there,’ she told CNN. ‘So we are going to be here for the people of Maui until they need us throughout this time.’
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pushed back at criticism of Biden’s handling of the wildfires in Maui, insisting ‘we are taking this incredibly seriously’
A cadaver dog is seen leading search and rescue personnel through a parking lots that was destroyed in the Lahaina fire, that killed more than 100 people
Recovery teams are seen in a huddle as efforts to find the 1,300 people still missing after the Lahaina fire last week swept through the town. The death toll stands at more than 100
President Joe and Jill Biden are scheduled to leave Friday for a vacation in Lake Tahoe – above the couple at Joint Base Andrews last week
President Biden jets off to Lake Tahoe on Friday for another summer vacation. He will stay there until the following Thursday, according to guidance from the White House.
He will likely break from that trip to visit Hawaii, where the death toll is at 106. And 1,300 people are still unaccounted for.
The blaze that swept through Lahaina nearly a week ago destroyed nearly every building in the town of 13,000, leaving a mountain of debris. That fire has been 85% contained, according to the county. Another blaze known as the Upcountry fire has been 60% contained, officials told the Associated Press.
There has been an estimated $5.6 billion in damages.
Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show how rescue efforts are still ongoing even as hope fades that any will be found alive in the demolished town.
The harrowing images also show how little has been left standing in historic Lahaina.
Thousands of people are staying in shelters, in hotel rooms and Airbnb units, or with friends.
Around 2,000 homes and businesses still don’t have electricity and the fire contaminated much of the water supply.
