'Evil, bad person': Trump dodges Texas flood warning query with stinging reply

Texas floods: “Only a bad person would ask a question like that. Only an evil person would ask a question like that,” was US President Donald Trump’s reply, when a reporter asked for his response on the lack of warnings prior to the deadly floods that hit Texas last week.

Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump visited Texas on Friday, July 12, after heavy rainfall caused the Guadalupe River in Kerr County to rise 26 feet in less than an hour — killing at least 121 — including dozens of children at the nearby Christian summer camp, Camp Mystic.

Over 2,100 responders from local, state and federal agencies are on the ground, with the search for more than 170 missing people still underway, reported ABC News.

‘Did an incredible job’

During his visit to Texas in the aftermath of the floods, Donald Trump was asked for his response to those who say the warning alerts didn’t go out in time and that more people could have been saved.

Rebuffing the question, the POTUS instead praised the response efforts.

“Well, I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances,” Trump said. “I just have admiration for the job that everybody did. There’s just admiration.”

Besides labelling the reporter’s query as “evil,” Trump further went on to say:
“I think this has been heroism. This has been incredible. Really, the job you’ve all done.” “It’s easy to sit back and say, ‘Oh, what could have happened here or there, maybe we could have done something differently.’ This was a thing … that’s never happened before.”

Texas flood deaths

The deadly floods claimed the lives of several children who had been attending a girls’ summer camp located near the Guadalupe River, where rising water levels swept away cabins, bridges and roads.

Camp Mystic said it had lost 27 campers and counselors in the deluge, reported Bloomberg.

Officials in Kerr County, which saw the highest number of casualties, reported that 36 children and 60 adults have been killed to date. Around 160 people remain missing.

The statewide death toll is expected to mount as rescuers continue to search through debris for those missing, mentioned a report by Bloomberg.