Karoline Leavitt Blasts Democrats Over ‘Depraved Lies’ Blaming Trump for Texas Floods
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded on Monday to allegations that the tragic flash floods in Kerr County, Texas, were caused by budget cuts under President Donald Trump’s administration.
During a White House briefing, Leavitt addressed questions surrounding reports that federal budget reductions had led to staffing shortages at the National Weather Service (NWS) ahead of the deadly flooding event.
“What I can tell you is these offices were fully staffed,” Leavitt said.
“The San Angelo office was fully staffed with 12 forecast meteorologists. There were no vacancies.”
She continued:
“The San Antonio office was operating with 11 forecasters. And as Brian said, the union themselves said that there was adequate staffing. So, I think those words speak for themselves, and the numbers speak for themselves.”
Leavitt described the flooding as “a once-in-a-century flash flood, a tragic natural disaster,” and highlighted the Trump administration’s efforts to assist affected communities.
“The administration is doing all that we can on the ground to help these families during this time of need,” she said.
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Leavitt then addressed claims made by Democratic officials and media outlets linking the disaster to supposed budget cuts, calling the accusations “baseless.”
“These offices were well-staffed,” she reiterated.
“In fact, one of the offices was overstaffed; it had more people than they needed. So, any claim to the contrary is completely false. And it’s just sad that people are pushing these lies.”
She went on to address comments made by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other misleading narratives.
“Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning,” Leavitt stated.
She then laid out specific details to counter the claims:
- The NWS “executed timely and precise forecasts & warnings.”
- On July 3, the NWS issued a flood watch for the afternoon and evening hours.
- On July 4, additional flash flood warnings were issued in the morning, giving approximately four hours of lead time.
- Extra staff were assigned during the storm, despite media claims to the contrary.
“So, to any person who has deliberately lied about these facts surrounding this catastrophic event, you should be deeply ashamed,” Leavitt said.
She concluded by announcing that President Trump will visit Texas later this week to meet with victims and local officials in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security also pushed back against the staffing-level narratives.
According to officials, the budget adjustments had not yet been implemented and therefore could not have impacted weather forecasting operations during the flood event.
A post from Ron Filipkowski, an editor for Meidas Touch, read, “The people in Texas voted for government services controlled by Donald Trump and Greg Abbott. That is exactly what they getting.”
The post was later deleted, but not before sparking backlash online.
READ: ABC Reporter Suspended After Deranged Anti-Trump Rant