Joe Biden is facing serious backlash for sending over $100 billion in aid to Ukraine while only approving $5.6 million in assistance to Hawaii at the time of this report.
Wildfires on the island of Maui have killed at least 110 people and left thousands homeless.
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Biden was on vacation at a beach in Delaware while the state burned. When approached by the media about the rising death toll in Hawaii, left-leaning Bloomberg media reported that Biden said, “No comment.” (Poll: Is America Better Off Under Biden? VOTE)
UNREAL.
Biden, when asked about the rising death toll in Maui: “No comment.”
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) August 14, 2023
This quickly went viral as social media flooded with negative reactions. Scrambling to handle this PR nightmare, White House Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to the island next week to meet with first responders and survivors.
However, it appears their trip may not be welcome by some. Multiple residents of Maui told the New York Post that they would prefer if Biden didn’t come.
“I don’t want him here,” Lahaina resident Jay Awan said. “He’s just coming to Maui to look good in front of the cameras.” (Trending: Ex-Capitol Police Chief Drops Bombshell About Jan 6)
“It’s like a f***ing warzone here,” the 45-year-old told the NY Post. “Maui’s never going to be the same. Lahaina’s never going to be the same.”
“They’re going to put resorts up all along here — Lahaina is going to lose its character as an old whaling village,” he said. “We can’t get the historical sites back.”
Lahaina Maui residents are questioning the government's failure to issue fire alarms, delayed water supply during fires, and the power company's long-standing disregard for fire warnings.
Despite fires scorching over 100,000 acres on Maui from 2016 to 2020:
•Maui's Emergency… pic.twitter.com/UPprWLhWJh
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) August 18, 2023
66-year-old Maui resident Peter Friedgen said people “don’t care if the president comes.” (Poll: Is CNN ‘Fake News’? VOTE)
“It’s a waiting game now for someone to show up — the government, insurers,” Friedgen said. “I’ve just been down the beach, waiting for people to get into town.”
“We haven’t had federal support,” resident Kristi Bowman said. “We’ve had local support, not federal.” Residents “scoffed” at Biden’s low-budget relief effort thus far.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden and first lady Jill Biden said, “The President and First Lady will travel to Maui on Monday, August 21 to meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state, and local officials, in the wake of deadly wildfires on the island,” Jean-Pierre said.
