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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2025. (Photo: Mehmet Eser / Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
"I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances," U.S. President Donald Trump insisted.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday lashed out at a reporter who asked a pointed question about the government's response to the devastating floods in Texas that claimed the lives of more than 120 people, with over 170 still missing.
During a press event that also included Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a local reporter grilled the president about the timeliness of the emergency alerts sent out to people in the flooded region.
"Several families we've heard from are obviously upset because they say that those warnings, those alerts... didn't go out in time, and they also say that people could have been saved," the reporter said. "What do you say to those families?"
"I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances," Trump replied. "This was, I guess [Secretary of Homeland Security] Kristi [Noem] said, a 1 in 500, 1 in 1,000 years [event], and I just have admiration for the job that everybody did."
The president then proceeded to insult the reporter personally.
"Only a bad person would ask a question like that, to be honest with you," he said. "I don't know who you are but only a very evil person would ask a question like that."
REPORTER: Families are upset because warnings didn't go out in time. What do you say to those families?
TRUMP: Well I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances. This was a one in 1,000 years. Only a bad person would ask a question like that. Only an evil… pic.twitter.com/IwYS6JJOCF
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 11, 2025
ABC News reported earlier this week that flood alerts last weekend were not sent out to people in the affected area until 90 minutes after a local fireman first requested one. Additionally, reported ABC some residents didn't receive the flood alerts until six hours after the initial request was made.
Democrats in Congress this week also called for an investigation into whether Trump administration cuts to federal weather monitoring and emergency management agencies may have hindered the response to the Texas floods.
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U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday lashed out at a reporter who asked a pointed question about the government's response to the devastating floods in Texas that claimed the lives of more than 120 people, with over 170 still missing.
During a press event that also included Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a local reporter grilled the president about the timeliness of the emergency alerts sent out to people in the flooded region.
"Several families we've heard from are obviously upset because they say that those warnings, those alerts... didn't go out in time, and they also say that people could have been saved," the reporter said. "What do you say to those families?"
"I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances," Trump replied. "This was, I guess [Secretary of Homeland Security] Kristi [Noem] said, a 1 in 500, 1 in 1,000 years [event], and I just have admiration for the job that everybody did."
The president then proceeded to insult the reporter personally.
"Only a bad person would ask a question like that, to be honest with you," he said. "I don't know who you are but only a very evil person would ask a question like that."
REPORTER: Families are upset because warnings didn't go out in time. What do you say to those families?
TRUMP: Well I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances. This was a one in 1,000 years. Only a bad person would ask a question like that. Only an evil… pic.twitter.com/IwYS6JJOCF
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 11, 2025
ABC News reported earlier this week that flood alerts last weekend were not sent out to people in the affected area until 90 minutes after a local fireman first requested one. Additionally, reported ABC some residents didn't receive the flood alerts until six hours after the initial request was made.
Democrats in Congress this week also called for an investigation into whether Trump administration cuts to federal weather monitoring and emergency management agencies may have hindered the response to the Texas floods.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday lashed out at a reporter who asked a pointed question about the government's response to the devastating floods in Texas that claimed the lives of more than 120 people, with over 170 still missing.
During a press event that also included Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a local reporter grilled the president about the timeliness of the emergency alerts sent out to people in the flooded region.
"Several families we've heard from are obviously upset because they say that those warnings, those alerts... didn't go out in time, and they also say that people could have been saved," the reporter said. "What do you say to those families?"
"I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances," Trump replied. "This was, I guess [Secretary of Homeland Security] Kristi [Noem] said, a 1 in 500, 1 in 1,000 years [event], and I just have admiration for the job that everybody did."
The president then proceeded to insult the reporter personally.
"Only a bad person would ask a question like that, to be honest with you," he said. "I don't know who you are but only a very evil person would ask a question like that."
REPORTER: Families are upset because warnings didn't go out in time. What do you say to those families?
TRUMP: Well I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances. This was a one in 1,000 years. Only a bad person would ask a question like that. Only an evil… pic.twitter.com/IwYS6JJOCF
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 11, 2025
ABC News reported earlier this week that flood alerts last weekend were not sent out to people in the affected area until 90 minutes after a local fireman first requested one. Additionally, reported ABC some residents didn't receive the flood alerts until six hours after the initial request was made.
Democrats in Congress this week also called for an investigation into whether Trump administration cuts to federal weather monitoring and emergency management agencies may have hindered the response to the Texas floods.