CNN Climate Correspondent Bill Weir claimed President Joe Biden “said the right things in many cases” during his Monday visit to Maui, despite widespread criticism over his response to the disaster.
Biden’s response to the deadly wildfire that destroyed many buildings in the town of Lahaina, killing at least 114 people, drew criticism from residents of the island. On multiple occasions, he declined to comment on the disaster, including one instance while he was vacationing in Delaware.
“President and Dr. Biden spent several hours both over Lahaina on the ground here and meeting with both first responders and victims of this tragedy at the big shelter, the War Memorial Shelter in central Maui, and he said the right things in many cases,” Weir said during “CNN News Central.” “When he came to the microphone to give his statements, he said the thing that a lot of folks I’ve been hearing from for two weeks have been saying that he wants Maui, the people of Maui to help determine how this place is rebuilt.” (RELATED: ‘We Are Not Learning’: Bjorn Lomborg Says Politicians Hide Behind Climate Change To Duck ‘Responsibility’ For ‘Failures’)
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The West Maui Land Company accused M. Kaleo Manuel, an official with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), of delaying a response to a request to use water to refill reservoirs used by the Maui Fire Department to fight the wildfire, Hawaii News Now reported.
“He did serve as empathizer-in-chief after five days of being mostly silent on the issue publicly, but the governor said he was working behind the scenes to assure first responders that the feds had their back on this,” Weir added. “He shared the stories we’re familiar with, of losing his daughter and wife and wondering if his son’s had survived a car accident early in his political career, and that’s what so many people here are going through now.”
Biden claimed he nearly lost his home in a fire during remarks Monday in Maui, when his house had a minor kitchen fire that was extinguished in 20 minutes in 2004. Angry residents made obscene gestures at Biden’s motorcade during his trip to the island.
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