White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt came out forcefully, rejecting accusations from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats who attempted to blame President Donald Trump for the catastrophic floods in Texas that have claimed at least 100 lives.
During a White House briefing, Leavitt targeted Schumer directly, accusing him and members of the media of spreading misinformation during a time of national tragedy.
“We have seen many falsehoods pushed by Democrats such as Senator Chuck Schumer and some members of the media. Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning,” Leavitt said.
She went on to detail the National Weather Service’s (NWS) actions leading up to the deadly floods, emphasizing that appropriate warnings had been issued well in advance.
“Here are the facts. In the lead-up to this tragic national disaster, the National Weather Service did its job. Despite unprecedented rainfall, the NWS executed timely and precise forecasts and warnings,” she explained.
Leavitt noted that the NWS held press briefings and issued a flood watch in the region on July 3. She further stated that “flash flood warnings were also issued on the night of July 3rd and the morning of July 4th, giving preliminary lead time of more than three hours before flash flood conditions occurred.”
In contrast, Senator Schumer called for an investigation into staffing shortages at the NWS in Texas, suggesting these vacancies may have compromised the effectiveness of flood warnings.
“These are the experts responsible for modeling storm impacts, monitoring rising water levels, issuing flood warnings, and coordinating directly with local emergency managers about when to warn the public and issue evacuation orders,” Schumer said.
Leavitt also announced that President Trump would be traveling to Texas later this week to meet with victims and their families, though no additional details were provided.
“May God bless the great people of Texas, especially the parents who have lost their children. President Trump loves you. We are praying for you, and he will be traveling to see you later this week,” she said.
Leavitt made headlines during the briefing by calling the flooding an “act of God” and dismissing the notion that the administration was at fault for the timing of the flood alerts.
“Well, the alerts were sent out before the flood when people were sleeping because the flood hit in the very early hours of the morning,” she said. “That was an act of God; it’s not the administration’s fault that the flood hit when it did.”
Meteorologists have confirmed that the disaster was caused by a slow-moving storm system that dropped several inches of rain in a short period, overwhelming local waterways and triggering flash floods, even as early warnings were issued.