A Hawaii state lawmaker on Friday slammed President Biden’s recent visit to the devastated island of Maui, telling Fox News that locals saw his comments as a “slap in the face,” criticizing him for routinely “butchering” officials’ names and appearing fell asleep during the memorial for the fire victims.
Hawaii House Minority Leader Diamond Garcia, R-Oahu, said the community is still reeling from the fire that left more than 100 dead and leveled the town of Lahaina.
Garcia told “Hannity” that Maui residents did not believe Biden’s “no comment” response to reporters when he was first asked about the fire while on vacation in Sussex County, Del.
“The fact is that the president came to Hawaii some time after the fire burned the entire town of Lahaina. And when he came, he came less than 6 hours,” Garcia recounted.
“He landed, did a short tour, held a press conference – where he literally butchered every name he mentioned – and then went to an event with a local family that had lost everything. And he literally fell asleep in the middle of this family pouring out their hearts and sharing their experiences.”
In one clip circulated during Biden’s trip, the president bowed his head in his crossed arms and appeared to fall asleep briefly, while other viewers said his eyes remained open and he appeared alert as his head was bowed.
“And this is our commander in chief,” lamented Garcia, adding that families in Hawaii rhetorically asked “aren’t we American citizens too?”
Hawaii House Minority Leader Diamond Garcia called President Biden’s visit to Maui after the wildfires a “slap in the face.” REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
He said many in the state feel like “second-class citizens” however, and has called the $700 per household pledge from FEMA a paltry offer from the feds.
Garcia was asked how he and other Hawaiians felt when Biden appeared to compare the deadly fire to a kitchen fire at his home in New Castle County, Del., in 2004, amid intense lightning in the area.
Biden claimed he almost lost his Chevrolet Corvette and his cat in the fire, while host Sean Hannity previously reported first responders extinguished the fire in 20 minutes.
Neighborhood destroyed by fire in Lahaina. Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
Biden inspects the damage with first lady Jill Biden, Hawaii Governor Josh Green and Hawaii first lady Jaime Green on August 21, 2023. Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
“In the words of the local family here, they say what a slap in the face it is. That comment is out of place. It shows the basic lack of humanity involved here,” said Garcia.
Garcia emphasized that Biden’s criticism of the island is not a partisan issue, as the state remains overwhelmingly Democratic, with a 45-9 majority in its legislature:
“I am one of the few ‘red’ members here, but we are a blue state. And the president can’t come to a blue state and offer true federal support.
Lahaina residents call on Biden to provide Maui federal aid.REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Responding to Biden’s handling of other disaster zones, East Ohio Republican Mayor Trent Conaway told “Hannity” that he has faced a similar lack of urgency from the president; months after the Norfolk-Southern derailment created a long-term toxic situation in Columbiana County, Ohio and Beaver County, Pa.
Conaway said that if Biden, at this date, still decided to visit the recovering community, he would be “welcomed,” but would note that he would then be “a little late.”
“He’s promised that he’ll be here, but, you know, nobody’s holding their breath.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
