The president has defended his administration's response to the fatal flooding amid criticism that federal assistance could have been provided more quickly.

By Trevor Hunnicutt and Maria Alejandra Cardona KERRVILLE, Texas (Reuters) -President Donald Trump defended the state and federal response to deadly flash flooding in Texas on Friday as he visited the stricken Hill Country region,

The president met with state and local officials, who praised the White House response, and lashed out at a question on whether aid and rescue efforts occurred fast enough.

President Trump has not talked about eliminating FEMA as the emergency response agency helps with recovery efforts from the Texas floods.

During his first weekend back in the White House, Trump again visited North Carolina to scope out Helene damage and toured the aftermath of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. But he also used those trips to sharply criticize the Biden administration and California officials.

President Donald Trump is touring the devastation left by flash flooding in central Texas amid growing questions about how local officials responded to the crisis as well as questions about the federal response -- including the fate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency -- that he has so far avoided.

In early July 2025, a screenshot claimed to show a real Truth Social post by U.S. President Donald Trump calling on people to forget the "Epstein files" and focus on the "beautiful young girls" who died in the Texas flash floods over the Fourth of July. Per the screenshot, Trump wrote:

President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency chief has thrown his weight behind right-wing conspiracy theories that have spread online in the wake of the Texas floods. As the death toll from the tragedy continues to rise,