Trump trolled for praising Kristi Noem’s Texas flood response as 'she was the first person I saw on TV'
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump came to the defense of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem amid mounting scrutiny over the federal response to catastrophic floods in central Texas, citing her television appearance as evidence of swift action.
With at least 120 people confirmed dead and more than 150 still missing, questions are being raised about whether FEMA’s response under Noem’s authority was hampered by a controversial policy requiring her personal signoff on contracts exceeding $100,000, reported Mediaite.
Trump lauds Kristi Noem’s flood response because 'she was first on TV'
Speaking in an NBC News interview with Kristen Welker on Thursday, July 10, Trump brushed off the criticisms, “I don’t know anything about it. We were right on time. We were there. In fact, she was the first one I saw on television. She was there right from the beginning, and she would not have needed anything. She had the right to do it, but she was literally the first person I saw on television.”
“That morning when we all woke up and saw this tragedy that took place during the evening. And she was right on the ball. She’s done a great job,” he added.
Trump’s remarks quickly sparked backlash, with MSNBC host Chris Hayes ridiculing the president’s praise as superficial. “She was on TV!” Hayes exclaimed on 'All In'. “So obviously she’s doing a great job, right?”
The host pointed out that Noem had scrapped a $3 million grant originally allocated to build a high-tech weather alert system intended to help keep New Yorkers safe during extreme weather events.
He noted the irony, pointing out that only days earlier, Noem had acknowledged the country’s aging infrastructure needed improvements to properly warn people about incoming natural disasters.
He said, “Even though just a couple of days ago, she conceded that our infrastructure is in need of an upgrade in order to give folks adequate warning ahead of natural disasters.”
He then played a clip of Noem speaking in Texas following the devastating floods, “We know that everybody wants more warning time, and that’s why we’re working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected by far too long to make sure that families have as much advanced notice as possible.”
Internet reacts after Trump praises Kristi Noem for Texas flood response
President Donald Trump's praise for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s handling of the catastrophic floods in central Texas sparked a fresh wave of online criticism and skepticism, with many users pointing the finger at both Trump's media habits and Noem's public image.
One user dismissed the praise bluntly, “We pay for her glam squad.”
Another pointed out, “It's not a joke. Cable news forms Donald Trump's understanding of the world. He watches 10 hours a day. When he heard about the TX floods, he went straight to Fox.”
Another added, “Trump hate watches CNN and MSNBC. He still needs to know what they're saying about him. Classic narcissist.”
“'I don't know anything about it.'” The only true statement he's ever made,” one user lamented.
Others took aim at Noem herself, “At this point, it's hard to tell what part of Kristi is still real.”
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online
