 "“Only a very evil person would ask a question like that,” Trump said.(Source: AP)")
US President Donald Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania visited Central Texas on Friday (July 11), just a week after devastating flash floods tore through the area, claiming over 100 lives and forcing thousands to flee for safety.
“The first lady and I are here in Texas to express the love and support and the anguish of our entire nation in the aftermath of this really horrific and deadly flood,” Trump said as he spoke at the roundtable event.
Trump calls reporter ’evil’
When a reporter asked Trump about concerns from Hill Country residents about the lack of warnings before the Guadalupe River’s rapid rise—potentially a factor in the high death toll—the president sharply called the reporter “evil.”
“Only a very evil person would ask a question like that,” he said.
Republican Representative Chip Roy quickly jumped to Trump’s defence, dismissing the question as “ridiculous.” “Don’t go around pointing fingers,” Roy said.
As questions swirl about the local and federal response, including the role of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Trump insisted, “Everyone did a great job.”
“We mourn for every single life that was swept away in the flood, and we pray for the families that are left behind,” Trump added. “It’s amazing, the incredible spirit from those families.”
Impact Shorts
View All‘Nobody had clue’
He went on to praise the efforts of all involved, despite the tragic circumstances.
“Nobody has any idea how and why a thing like this could happen,” he told reporters. “I just have admiration for the job that everybody did. There’s just admiration,” he said.
History of floods in Texas
The 2025 Texas floods mark at least the fifth time in a century that the region has faced deadly flooding.
Similar disasters struck in 1978, 1987, and 1990, with the Guadalupe River’s sudden surges causing numerous deaths and missing persons cases.
“It’s easy to sit back and say, ‘Oh, what could have happened here or there, maybe we could have done something differently.’ This was a thing … that’s never happened before,” the president asserted.
Known as “Flash Flood Alley,” the area’s hilly terrain channels water into narrow riverbanks, leading to rapid and often unexpected flooding.
Trump’s response contrasts with his earlier reaction to California’s wildfires this year, where he criticised Governor Gavin Newsom and other Democratic officials.
In Texas, however, he highlighted his close alignment with Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
“He’s an amazing guy. We’ve become very, very close politically and personally,” the president said.