US President Donald Trump found himself in a heated exchange with a reporter on Friday during a roundtable discussion at the Hill Country Youth Event Centre in Kerrville, Texas. The discussion took place against the backdrop of catastrophic floods that have claimed at least 120 lives and left more than 160 people missing across Texas, according to BBC reports. The disaster has sparked widespread criticism from residents, many of whom believe that more timely alerts could have saved lives.
Reporter Questions Government Response
During the event, a reporter pressed President Trump on the government’s handling of the flood crisis, asking, "Families are upset because they say that warnings didn't go out in time, and they say that people could have been saved. What do you say to those families?"
Trump responded by defending the efforts of everyone involved in the flood management, emphasizing the unprecedented nature of the disaster. "Well, I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances," he said. The President went on to quote Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who described the event as a "one-in-1,000-year flood," and expressed his admiration for the work done by first responders and officials.
Trump Criticizes Reporter’s Line of Questioning
However, Trump’s tone quickly shifted as he took issue with the reporter’s question, accusing them of disrespecting the efforts of first responders and attempting to place blame on officials during a time of crisis. "Only a bad person would ask a question like that. To be honest with you, I don't know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that. This has been heroism," he stated.
Trump continued, "It's easy to ask, to sit back and ask, 'What could have happened here or there? Maybe we could have done something differently.' This is something that's never happened before." The President’s remarks underscored his view that it is unfair to second-guess decisions made in the midst of an unprecedented emergency.
Residents Voice Frustration Over Warnings
Despite Trump’s defense of the government’s response, many Texas residents have voiced frustration, arguing that earlier warnings could have prevented some of the loss of life. The catastrophic floods have left communities devastated, with families searching for missing loved ones and questioning whether more could have been done to protect them.
Trump’s History of Confronting Reporters
This is not the first time President Trump has reacted strongly to reporters’ questions. Earlier, he snapped at a journalist who inquired about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s possible ties to intelligence agencies and a missing minute of CCTV footage from the night of Epstein’s death. Trump responded, "Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?" and added, "There were more pressing issues to focus on, like the great success and current tragedy in Texas. It seems like a desecration."
A Divided Response
Trump’s latest exchange with the press highlights the tension between government officials and the media during times of crisis. While the President praised the heroism of first responders and insisted that the government did its best under extraordinary circumstances, criticism from residents and the press continues to fuel debate over accountability and preparedness in the face of natural disasters.
