How is the White House responding to the Maui wildfires?

Emma Pitts
·3 min read
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A group of volunteers who sailed from Maalaea Bay, Maui, form an assembly line on Kaanapali Beach on Saturday Aug. 12, 2023, to unload donations from a boat. Maui residents have come together to donate water, food and other essential supplies to people on the western side of the island after a deadly fire destroyed hundreds of homes and left scores of people homeless.

In the aftermath of the Maui wildfires, one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history, the White House is sending aid to those affected by the devastation.

At the White House press briefing Monday, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell said she and her staff have been in Hawaii since 2 a.m. on Saturday morning “to get a true understanding of what the impact is here on the ground,” she said.

When Criswell was asked if the government has provided adequate funding for the response, she said said they have, but added, “we will need additional funding to ensure that all of our other recovery projects can continue and not get delayed until the next fiscal year.”

The actual size of the death toll is not yet known, as the search continues for additional bodies, per CNN.

On Sunday, when asked by Bloomberg’s White House correspondent Justin Sink about the rising death toll in Maui, President Joe Biden replied “no comment,” which led to questions about whether the president was adequately engaged in the unfolding disaster.

Sink tweeted the following on X: “After a couple hours on the Rehoboth beach, @potus was asked about the rising death toll in Hawaii “No comment,” he said before heading home.”

Following the incident, Biden was criticized by many on social media for his response.

The Washington Examiner’s Byron York said on social media, “It seems like the president should have something to say about that.”

The White House released a post Monday morning on X, formerly known as Twitter, that said, “Hawai’i Wildfire Update: The Biden-Harris Administration is closely monitoring the situation on the ground and coordinating with FEMA, state, local, and federal partners to support the continuing life-saving operations.”

While in Utah last week, Biden approved a disaster declaration for Hawaii, which he mentioned during a speech to veterans and supporters, saying his administration would offer whatever assistance is needed.

“Not just our prayers,” he said. “Every asset we have will be available to them. It’s not over yet.”

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During the White House press briefing Monday one reporter asked if it was possible for the president to visit the island without distracting from the rescue efforts and if a visit was on his schedule.

Criswell replied, “Not at this point. Again, we just want to make sure that we are working to help this community identify everybody that’s missing and we need to stay focused on that right now.”