![CNN's Phil Mattingly confronted White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday over President Joe Biden's response to the Maui disaster. [Screenshot CNN]](https://images.dailycaller.com/image/width=960,height=411,fit=cover,f=auto/https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-16-at-10.04.53-AM-e1692194738408.png "CNN's Phil Mattingly confronted White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday over President Joe Biden's response to the Maui disaster. [Screenshot CNN]")
CNN’s Phil Mattingly confronted White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Wednesday over President Joe Biden’s response to the Maui disaster.
At least 96 people are dead as of Monday following devastating wildfires in Hawaii. Searches are ongoing throughout the Lahaina area of Maui, and the death toll is reportedly expected to rise.
Biden has come under fire after he was spotted at the beach in Delaware, riding his bicycle and telling reporters he was “looking at” making a trip t0 Maui.
Biden gave remarks Thursday about the fire but has otherwise been relatively silent. Reporters have questioned Jean-Pierre about Biden’s alleged lack of public response, NBC News reported.
Mattingly confronted Jean-Pierre over the criticism. (RELATED: ‘They Fall Apart’: Maui Officials Reveal Grim Reality Of Body Recovery Effort)
“I’ve heard from a lot of people inside the White House, the focus on disaster relief. That’s one of the primary issues the president puts a lot of pressure on his team to deliver on. It’s a critical component of what the federal government can do, which is why I want to ask you this question — And you guys will probably think that it’s minor and we’re making too much of it,” he said. “But the idea of not saying anything until yesterday publicly. Why?”
“Well, I would disagree with that, Phil. The president was, when I was with him in Utah and he was out there to talk about the PACT Act, as, you know, incredibly historic, important piece of legislation. When he was out there, he at the top of of his remarks, he talked about what was going on in Hawaii and how we were moving forward with a federal whole of government response. So he has been talking about this,” Jean-Pierre argued.
“You saw the FEMA, the FEMA administrator in the briefing room yesterday, actually zoomed in the briefing room on Monday. And I should say yesterday, while she was in Hawaii talking about the efforts, what we’re doing, the federal government, I just listed out all the things that we have been doing since day one. Day one. We have had dozens of federal agencies and departments working with the folks on the ground, doing everything that we can to be helpful. And it doesn’t stop there. Again, we’re going to, this is a long term effort.”
“And so, look, you’re going to continue to hear from the president. Obviously, he is eager to to head out to Maui to see for himself. And you see the president, it seems, if you know this president, you know how much he cares about people, you know how much he cares about folks who have lost so much. You have covered him, Phil. You know how he deals with these types of unfortunate situations. So, of course, he’s eager to go out there. We just have to make sure it happens where we are not disrupting what’s occurring on the on the ground, the rescue efforts that are occurring on the ground. And that is incredibly important,” Jean-Pierre continued.
Jean-Pierre announced Wednesday Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Maui Monday to meet with first responders and survivors as well as authorities.