President Trump travels to Texas

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Less than a week after catastrophic flooding caused the deaths of more than 100 people, President Donald Trump travels to Central Texas - where he will meet with first responders and grieving community members.

At a Cabinet meeting earlier this week, President Trump praised the work of both federal and Texas state officials in responding to the flash floods that saw the Guadalupe River rise 25 feet in just 45 minutes.

“You had people there as fast as anybody’s ever seen. So, I really appreciate it, we all do.”

At that same Cabinet meeting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the response of the Federal Emergency Management Agency – saying Texas has been taking the lead in providing disaster assistance to the heavily hit communities.

“We as a federal government don’t manage these disasters; the state does. We come in and support them. And that’s exactly what we did in this situation.”

President Trump has not indicated whether he will follow through on his promise to wind down FEMA.

The President is expected to be well-received in Texas – where he won nearly 75 percent of the overall vote in Kerrville – one of the most impacted communities. His visit comes as members of the Texas congressional delegation call for oversight hearings into FEMA and the federal response.