Trump to tour flood zone on Friday as he touts ties to deep-red Texas
Trump to visit flood-ravaged Texas after more than 120 deaths
- President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit areas in Texas affected by recent flash floods, which have caused 121 deaths and seen 173 people go missing.
- Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has praised the Trump administration's response, despite federal cutbacks to climate and weather agencies and a push to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
- This positive relationship contrasts with Trump's strained interactions with California Governor Gavin Newsom during previous wildfires, where federal aid was threatened.
- Critics, including former federal officials, suggest that Trump politicises disaster responses based on the political alignment of the affected state's governor.
- Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, who will accompany Trump, stated that states should primarily manage disasters, with federal support being secondary.