Texas (BN24) – President Donald Trump lashed out at a reporter on Friday, calling her “evil” for questioning whether authorities had failed to adequately warn residents before catastrophic flash floods swept central Texas.
The exchange unfolded during a roundtable event in Kerrville, where Trump met with state and local officials to assess damage from the disaster that has killed at least 129 people and left scores more missing.
After touring wreckage near the Guadalupe River, where the water rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes, Trump sat alongside Texas leaders at a table draped in a “Texas Strong” banner. He praised the emergency response as heroic and said everyone involved deserved admiration.
But when a reporter pressed him on complaints from grieving families who said they received little or no warning before the deadly surge, Trump immediately grew defensive.
“I don’t know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that,” Trump snapped, before pivoting back to his praise of officials. “I think this has been heroism.”
His rebuke came as some local leaders conceded that communication systems were overwhelmed or offline when the floods struck. Kerr County Commissioner Jeff Holt, a volunteer firefighter, said the collapse of phone towers had hampered alerts and that improvements to early warning systems were badly needed.
Still, Trump insisted, “Everybody did an incredible job under the circumstances.”
The president’s reaction underscored how the tragedy has complicated his efforts to project unwavering competence and empathy while avoiding blame. Although he has long pledged to dismantle FEMA and reduce federal disaster spending, Trump on Friday struck a softer tone in Texas, highlighting the victims and the bravery of first responders.
“We just visited with incredible families. They’ve been devastated,” Trump said after a private meeting with relatives of those killed or missing, including children from Camp Mystic, the all-girls Christian summer camp where at least 27 lives were lost.
He added, “They were there because they loved God. And, as we grieve this unthinkable tragedy, we take comfort in the knowledge that God has welcomed those little beautiful girls into his comforting arms in heaven.”
But even amid solemn words, Trump took shots at political critics, accusing Democrats of trying to “clobber” Texas Republicans over the disaster.
“All they want to do is criticize,” Trump said. “They’re getting absolutely clobbered because everyone sees what an incredible job the governor did.”
His combative approach extended to the media. When the same reporter tried to follow up about FEMA’s future role in flood preparation, Trump ignored her. In Washington, White House budget director Russell Vought also sidestepped questions about Trump’s past vows to phase out FEMA.
On the ground, the devastation was plain. In Kerrville, the president and first lady surveyed overturned vehicles, downed trees and debris before boarding helicopters for an aerial tour of the region. Residents lined the roads waving flags and wearing Trump campaign hats as the presidential motorcade passed by green ribbons tied to trees in memory of the flood victims.
Despite the friction over warnings, Trump signed an order expanding the disaster declaration to cover eight more counties, unlocking federal funds for recovery.
Before leaving Texas, he again praised local officials and first responders, singling out Rep. Chip Roy, whom he called “good,” though “not easy.”
The reporter Trump insulted did not respond publicly to his remark, but other journalists and press advocates condemned the president’s outburst as an attempt to deflect legitimate scrutiny.
“It’s unimaginable what people here have lost,” District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said earlier in the week of the families’ anguish. “They deserve answers, not insults.”
Trump, however, appeared unmoved. “I admire you,” he told the officials around the table. “And I consider you heroes.”
