After facing criticism for remaining on vacation and not touring the devastation from the deadly floods in Louisiana, President Obama will now travel to Baton Rouge on Tuesday, the White House said Friday.
The flooding in Louisiana began a week ago. Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Obama on Friday directed his team to “coordinate with Louisiana officials to determine an appropriate time for him to visit” and they decided he would travel there on Tuesday. Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard vacation is scheduled to end Sunday.
“The President is mindful of the impact that his travel has on first responders and wants to ensure that his presence does not interfere with ongoing recovery efforts,” Earnest said.
“He is also eager to get a first-hand look at the impact of the devastating floods, hear from more officials about the response, including how the federal government can assist and tell the people of Louisiana that the American people will be with them as they rebuild their community and come back stronger than ever,” he said.
Obama has been on vacation this week. “While in Martha’s Vineyard, the President has received updates on the situation in Louisiana, including from the DHS Secretary and the FEMA Administrator, who took separate trips there,” Earnest said.
The Advocate in Louisiana on Thursday called on Obama to visit. “Sometimes, presidential visits can get in the way of emergency response, doing more harm than good,” the outlet wrote. “But we don’t see that as a factor now that flood waters are subsiding, even if at an agonizing pace. It’s past time for the president to pay a personal visit, showing his solidarity with suffering Americans.”
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, along with his running mate Mike Pence, visited Baton Rouge on Friday. He criticized Obama for not having visited yet, making cracks about the president working on his golf game instead.